Page 12

Chapter Twelve

Lainey

I’ve never been so happy to be driving away from my hometown. The past hour was a complete shit show, and I just want to escape.

Earlier today, an average afternoon at the lab turned into a nightmare of a day when my brother called me. He told me about a comment Shane made to our mom’s friend’s daughter that literally turned my stomach.

Never once has Shane said I’m pretty or that I look good in an outfit. Tears ran down my cheeks when Eric told me Shane asked for photos of another woman in a bikini. While he was working. It’s disgusting.

It wasn’t just that one thing. Eric said he regrets not telling me Shane wasn’t right for me a long time ago.

He said he thought as long as I was happy, it wasn’t for him to interfere.

But apparently my sister-in-law Callie has disliked Shane all along and has been telling Eric he needed to say something.

I was embarrassed. Mortified. And really fucking angry. As soon as my shift at the lab was over, I drove straight to Columbus to confront Shane. He wasn’t at home or his office, and he wasn’t answering his phone.

I waited for him, and things took an ugly turn when he brought a woman home and found me sitting on his darkened front porch.

Our confrontation was short. I gave him back his piece-of-shit ring and told him to go fuck himself. I wish I could’ve been badass enough to be icy cool as I did it, but I sobbed the entire time.

I’m just ten minutes out from Bash’s house and I’m still sobbing. I’ve been guzzling fountain Dr Peppers and eating my feelings. My feelings insisted that only drive-through burritos with extra sour cream would do, so I had to stop at a gas station to shit my guts out. While sobbing.

Fuck this day. And fuck Shane.

I was talking to a florist about wedding flowers earlier. Guess I can cross that off my to-do list.

Squaring my shoulders, I resolve not to cry even one more tear over that asshole.

“No more pretending I care about pool chemicals,” I say to my empty car. “At least he’s not getting laid tonight.”

My laugh sounds maniacal. After returning Shane’s ring, I was walking back to my car when I turned around and told his lady friend I hoped she enjoyed four-inch erections and premature ejaculation. She bowed her head and left.

I crank up “Enough for You” by Olivia Rodrigo, fresh tears springing to my eyes. Normally, I’m not so emotional, but right now, I’m so angry I can’t even think straight. I was good to him, and he gave me the bare minimum.

He didn’t even propose. When I told him I was applying for grad school in other states and would be moving if I got in, he asked me if I’d stay. When I said I’d only stay if we were engaged or married, he said we could consider ourselves engaged.

He handed me the ring that weekend. That was it. And I convinced myself that I had something great because it was the only thing I ever had.

Hopefully Bash isn’t home. He’ll take one look at my splotchy face and swollen eyes and demand I tell him everything. I’m wiped out in every possible way and all I want is to wash my face and crawl into bed.

The outside lights are on, but the inside of the house is darkened when I pull into the driveway. It’s almost midnight. Bash should be in bed.

I type in the code on the keypad by the garage to raise the door, then close it with the button next to the door that leads inside.

When I walk inside, all I hear is the clack of Bruce’s nails on the wood floor as he comes to greet me. I exhale softly, relieved. I could use some Bruce cuddles before bed.

I grab one of my water bottles from the fridge, planning to tiptoe past the living area to get upstairs.

But then the lights come on. Bash is standing next to the switch, his expression morphing from concern to sympathy when he sees me.

Tears spring to my eyes. Why can’t I just be done crying?

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I stumble over the words, fighting a sob.

He walks toward me, opening his arms. I can’t hold my feelings back any longer. The dam breaks as he wraps his arms around me, swallowing me up.

I don’t realize how much I need it until I sink against his taut, broad chest. He doesn’t say a word. He just holds me, his warmth steadying me. After about a minute, he lifts my feet up from the floor and carries me over to his massive sectional.

He sits down and settles me into his lap, my legs off to one side and his arms still wrapped tightly around my back.

It’s kind of funny. The first time I had my heart broken by a man, Bash was the only one there in the immediate aftermath, and he tried his best to comfort me. Here we are again, only this time he wasn’t the one who inflicted the pain, and he’s doing exactly what I need most.

It’s too raw for me to talk about. I’m exhausted. But I’m not alone, and that feels good. Bruce jumps up by my feet and curls up.

My cheek rests on his shoulder, and it’s a hard pillow, but his pine-and-amber scent makes up for it. I cry some more, his arms tightening around me and his cheek resting on top of my head.

I’ve been giving him the silent treatment even though he didn’t deserve it. But still, he’s right here when I need him most. Bash really is a good friend.

My eyelids droop and I give in to the pull of sleep.

The smell of bacon wakes me up. I’m lying on the sectional, a blanket covering me and a pillow beneath my head.

I feel like I got run over. My head aches and my throat is dry. Last night comes back in a rush. I glance at the empty spot on my finger where my engagement ring was.

“Shit!” I fly up, tangling my limbs in the blanket. “What time is it?”

“Seven,” Bash says from the kitchen, where he’s cooking something at the stove. “I’m making breakfast in case you’re planning to go into the lab.”

I groan, because that sounds terrible. I don’t have set hours, but I treat it like a job, even though I’m not getting paid. A strong recommendation from Professor Carr based on my performance this semester will open doors for me.

Standing up, I take a deep breath. “I have to go in, at least for the morning.”

“How you feeling?”

I laugh lightly. “Like hot garbage.”

“Have some juice. Breakfast is almost ready. We’ll get you fixed up before you have to leave.”

We. A wave of gratitude brings a lump to my throat. I practically run into the kitchen and slide my arms around Bash’s back in a hug.

“I’m sorry I was a dick to you.” I press my cheek to his broad, muscled back.

He puts one of his much larger hands over mine against his chest. “It’s okay, Lane.”

I move to stand with my back against the counter so I can see his face. “Did Eric tell you?”

“About him calling you to talk about Shane? We talked before he did it.”

My brows shoot up. “Wait. Did you tell him to tell me?”

He shrugs. “What matters is that you know.”

My heart swells and aches at the same time. “You did. You knew this whole time and that’s why you’ve been trying to convince me to leave him and have it be my idea.”

He frowns. “Not exactly. I’ve never thought he was good enough for you.”

I rub my forehead. “I have the most killer headache.”

“Get some juice. Seriously. And there’s Tylenol in one of the island drawers.”

“I will.” I run my hands through my hair, suddenly self-conscious. “Hey, how bad do my eyes look?”

He looks at me and then considers for a beat, making me laugh. “That good, huh?”

“They’ve looked better.” He grins. “But you’re still beautiful Brainy Lainey.”

My heart does a little flip. “It was just Brainy Lainey, you know. You guys never called me beautiful.”

“Be kind of weird for your own brother to say that about you, wouldn’t it?”

His gaze on me is warm, but not in the usual way. I swear he’s looking at my mouth. I can’t let myself fall into my old, Bash-infatuated ways.

“I guess it would be weird for my brother’s best friend, who thinks of me like a sister, to say it too,” I quip.

Something flickers in his eyes and he turns back to the bacon. I push away from the counter.

“I need to go take a shower. Thanks for being such a good friend.”

“Hey.”

I turn to look at him.

“Have you called Shane yet?”

My former fiancé’s stunned but not stricken expression when he got caught bringing a woman home flashes through my mind. He asked, “What are you doing here?” like I was the one who owed him an explanation and not the other way around.

“I went to Columbus last night. Shane and I are over.”

Bash’s expression lights up with happiness that he quickly masks. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Later. I have to go into the lab for the morning, but if you’ll be around this afternoon?—”

“Yeah, of course. Can I take you out for lunch later?”

God, he’s so damn nice. Next time I fall in love, I’m going to look for a man who’s nice and also hot for me. If that combination even exists. There are more than four billion men in the world, so mathematically speaking, it should be possible.

“Yes, that would be nice. And then I’m going to make some sourdough bread. That’s always therapeutic.”

He nods approvingly. “I’ll eat the fuck out of it.”

I smile. “You don’t have to. I know you have to watch your diet.”

“I’m all over it, Lane. Better make two loaves.”

“I feel like baking and cooking.” The idea is just forming in my head. “Maybe we could have Suki and Carter and the whole crew over for dinner this weekend.”

“Great idea. I’ll help.”

“Okay. I’ll invite them.”

I turn to go upstairs, glancing over my shoulder as I walk. Bash is watching me, that look back in his eyes that I can’t quite place.

After he turned me down seven years ago, I never would have thought we’d end up being close friends like this. I’ve always felt like Bash was my friend as an offshoot to being Eric’s friend, but this summer is bringing us a lot closer together.

Some woman is going to be incredibly lucky to snag him one day.

And I doubt we’ll ever get time to be such close friends as we are now once that happens.

This is my chance for one-on-one time with Bash, and even though I spent years hoping for a romance with him, there’s something solid and right about at least having him as one of my closest friends.