Chapter Nineteen

Wyatt

I put my head in my hands as I waited for Brandy to approach from the bathroom ready to go to the pool party. She started getting ready before me and yet I was done before her, how did that make sense? I sighed not for the first time and tapped my foot until finally deciding to get up.

"What's taking so long?" I hollered.

No answer.

I raked a hand through my hair and began pacing outside the bathroom. I didn't like to be late. And we shouldn't have had to be, if not for Brandy's insane amount of time spent getting ready. I swore by the time we got there, the party was going to be half over. Maybe that was what she wanted, I mused, before turning back around and coming face to face with the most beautiful sight I'd seen.

I didn't realize it, but I must have held my mouth open for a beat too long because Brandy scrunched her nose and looked down at what she was wearing.

"What? Is it the color? Neon green was the only one in my size. I thought it would be okay. Is it not? Is it too much?" She shook her head and pointed back in the direction of the bathroom. "Let me go change. I packed another one just in case, it just isn't my favorite."

My eyes roamed over her body as I took her in. Her bikini top had sleeves and some giant bow in the front and her bottoms came high, but didn't leave much to the imagination where the rest was concerned. Her breasts were practically popping out of the top and I couldn't stop imagining what they would feel like in my hands. I imagined they would be a perfect fit, that they would fit right in the palm of my hand as I—

"That's it," she exclaimed, startling me. "You didn't say anything, so it must be bad. I'm definitely going to change."

I rubbed a hand over my jawline and shook my head now. "No, you look perfect."

She tilted her head.

I stood up straighter and cleared my throat. I didn't want to send her mixed signals. That couldn't happen. Not ever. We could never happen. She deserved better. I clarified, "I just mean you look nice. No need to change." Then I turned to look at the clock. "We should get going unless you're looking to skip the whole thing."

She brushed my comment off. "Please, no one expects me to be on time. I'm always late." She started walking to the bed where she grabbed some sheer cover up thing and slipped her arms in it. "Make that fashionably late." She nodded. "Yeah, I'm always fashionably late. I like that much better."

I chuckled. "Whatever you say."

She opened the door and placed her sunglasses over her eyes from where they were on the top of her head. With her bag on her arm, she kept walking. "You know," she began saying, "you need to learn how to relax. Have some fun. You're wound way too tight, my friend."

I nearly laughed again. I was wound tight because I didn't want to show up to someone else's wedding welcome party thing late? I didn't know how she'd figured that one, but I'd go with it. "Shouldn't you tell me about who I'll be meeting?"

I walked beside her and listened as she clapped her sandals with each step she took. "I already told you about my cousin, the one who's getting married, and her mother, her groom-to-be. That's pretty much everyone who's anyone. My mother's other sisters will be here, too. Some of the other guests. His family." Then she shrugged. "I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll talk to them first and you can swoop in later, introduce yourself. I wouldn't worry too much about it. You'll do great."

There it was again—her not-so-subtle reminder not to worry. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and watched the way she walked with such confidence. I always was attracted to a woman who knew what she wanted and went after it. Brandy sure as hell fit that description. I watched as her hips sway from side to side and immediately looked away. The last thing I needed was for there to be another guest at the party, one that wasn't invited.

We kept walking until we heard the distinctive sounds of a party going on. The sun was out causing it to feel warmer than it was, the place was packed, people screaming, laughing, drinking, talking. One man yelled, "Cannonball!" and immediately jumped into the pool, causing a group of girls to look disgusted and then begin giggling as though they actually didn't mind getting wet, after all.

Brandy peered over at me and smiled. "It's going to be fine, right?"

I nodded and grabbed her hand in mine, holding it tight until bringing it to my lips and giving it a reassuring kiss. "Better than fine."

"Maybe this is silly," she said and looked back like she was going to bolt.

I squeezed her hand and shook my head. "Hey, no way are you backing out now. This was your idea. Your mother is expecting us to show up together." Then I paused and studied her face. "But that's not why you don't want to do this, is it?"

She swallowed and shrugged her shoulders. "I just don't know how much I want to celebrate someone else's love when I can't even figure out my own love life. I mean, I thought everything was okay. I had a boyfriend who I loved, who I thought loved me, and you know how that turned out." She raised a brow.

"Yeah, I know how that turned out," I agreed. "But forget him. Just push him to the back of your mind and try to focus on having fun."

She swayed her arm back and forth and as a result our hands. "You're right." Then she looked at the pool party and smiled again. "There's a flamingo floatie out there calling my name anyway."

I laughed. "There's the Brandy I know."

* * *

Brandy popped the last grape in her mouth and moaned. "There is nothing more refreshing than grapes, you know?"

I nodded, watching her enjoy the grape a little too much as she closed her eyes and moaned again. "I do enjoy the occasional grape," I said, looking everywhere but at her mouth.

"I mean, the way you pop the little ball into your mouth and then suck all the juice out of it." She threw her head back and grunted. "I mean, the green ones are the best, too, because they're sour and seem to squirt the most juice."

I nodded, but really all I could think was some very dirty thoughts. Not appropriate for having in public. I cleared my throat and wished like hell she would talk about just anything else. "Wow, you've really given this a lot of thought."

"And the way the liquid slides down your throat. It feels so good. And one is never enough. I can easily suck on a dozen of those bad boys." She was laughing now, catching the look I had on my face. She knew she was torturing me and was fully enjoying it.

"I better stop you right there." I put a hand up and pointed to a woman who was walking in our direction. "Someone's coming straight toward us."

Brandy spun her head around. "Oh, God," Brandy said under her breath, but said nothing else. The woman approaching was a little taller than her, had long blonde hair seemed to go on for days and her lips were painted some shade of pink.

Before she even got to us, the woman started talking. "Brandy, honey, I just couldn't believe it! Your mother told me about you and Nate. Who knew you two were going to break up?" Her eyes widened and she placed a hand on Brandy's arm. "Oh, sweetie, but at least you met someone new. Someone hot and new, I see." She winked at Brandy and I stifled a laugh. Her family was too much, I mused.

The woman turned to me now and laughed. "But I'm being a total cad." She extended a hand for me to take. "I'm Brandy's cousin Charmaine, but everybody calls me Char. I haven't been called Charmaine since I snuck back in the house after prom my junior year of high school." She laughed again and waved her hand in the air. "Dad told me I was grounded until I was fifty."

Before either Brandy or I could even get a word in edgewise, she looked back to Brandy and started again. "You are getting older, though, Brandy, and you two might want to consider speeding things along. Hubby and I just started trying to conceive and it is not as easy as it seems. I mean, it's not like you can boing and boom, baby." A peel of laughter came from her again, but I was more concerned about Brandy, who was looking down at her lemonade, like she wished it held all the answers.

She blew outwardly, but only I seemed to notice. Char didn't seem to give a hoot how uncomfortable she was making Brandy.

I cleared my throat, hoping to get her attention. It didn't work. "We really should make our rounds. We promised we'd find her mother," I interrupted and explained to Char.

Brandy looked up at me and nodded. "Oh, yeah," she agreed, the light coming back in her eyes.

Char nodded. "Of course, you go, sweetie. I'm sure hubby is around here somewhere." She laughed again, this time it sounded more like a cackle, though.

I rubbed Brandy's back as we walked away. Once we were out of earshot, Brandy looked at me and sighed. "Thank you so much for that. I didn't know if she would ever shut up."

I chuckled. I could see why she would want her to shut up, but I also noticed how much she had in common with her family. It seemed the chatter trait ran in the family.

She took a sip of her lemonade and lifted it to my lips. "Want some? It's actually not half bad. I don't typically prefer it pink, but I don't hate it."

I shook my head. "I'm good."

"I can't wait to get back to our villa and take a long shower. I am so done with this day."

We had already swam, ate, drank, and talked with a dozen people or more, some family, others friends of the happy couple, so I could understand what she was saying, but I couldn't help but wonder if this was about Nate. "Still thinking about him?"

She let out a huff of air. "It's not like I want to be, but you heard Char, my biological clock is ticking, Wyatt, and I'm never going to find the one. I'm going to die an old spinster like my aunts, my mom's worst nightmare come true for me."

I didn't like the way Brandy got so down on herself sometimes. She was gorgeous, generous, intelligent, and so damn confident. She didn't need a man in her life, but I knew that was what everyone searched for, someone to spend the rest of their life with, to start a family with. I knew that was what I wanted when I met Susan. I wanted all of those things and I didn't think I would feel any differently.

Suddenly, I got an idea. My eyes narrowed as I thought it through. "You know what you need?"

She smacked her forehead and groaned. "A new life?"

I removed her hand from her forehead and brought my thumb to her chin, lifting it so we were to eye to eye. "No. You need to smash things."

"Excuse me." She blinked rapidly. "What are you talking about?"

I chuckled. "Come on," I urged, holding my hand out for her to take. "Do you trust me?"

Her facial expression grew softer and she had a twinkle in her eyes that wasn't there earlier. "Yes," she said. And I didn't know until that very moment that that one word could hold so much meaning for me.

I smiled and entangled our fingers together when she put her hand in mine. "I have somewhere I want to take you."

"Wyatt, I don't know," she said, looking back at the pool. "Won't people know we ducked out early?"

I shook my head. "People have been slipping out for the past hour and you haven't even noticed. I'm sure no one will notice we're gone, either."

"Fine," she gave, "I'm in."

We started walking back to the villa when she stopped holding my hand and pulled back. "I need a minute."

I cocked a brow and she pointed to her feet. "They're killing me. These sandals are new and apparently not for standing and walking for long periods of time. Whoever made them must hate feet."

Suppressing a laugh, I bent down and pointed to my back. "C'mon, get up here."

"You can't be serious!"

I turned my head so I could see her. "We've got to get back to the villa. The way I see it, you can either keep walking and end up with blisters, take them off and risk getting some sort of foot fungus or God knows what else from the street, or you can hop on for a piggyback ride."

I waited for her to decide, my back bent for her to hop on. When she didn't move, I raised my eyebrow and pointed toward my back. "We both know going barefoot's out and no one likes blisters," I reminded her. "They hurt, they're ugly, and how will you walk in those fancy high heels of yours with them?"

I heard her exhale. "Only because it's the only option and my feet really are hurting."

"Of course." I pointed to my back again.

Next thing I knew, I felt her hop on my back, her body pushed up against me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I placed my arms under her legs to hoist her up higher and make sure she was secure.

"I haven't had a piggyback ride since I was a kid," she confessed.

I laughed. "I haven't given one since I was a kid." I was in high school, in fact. It was some sort of game for a race during homecoming week. I smiled at the memory. I hadn't thought about those days in a long time.

"Hey, Wyatt?" she whispered, bringing me back to the present, her breath hot on my neck.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Anytime." And I meant it. I would do this all over again for her in a heartbeat. It was fun and we were having a good time so far.

"No, really, thank you for everything," she said again.

"You don't have to keep thanking me."

"I know, I'm just so grateful to you. I want you to know that."

"I know, Brandy," I said and came to a stop outside the door to our villa. Then, to lighten the mood, because I couldn't very well have her thinking I was some sort of white knight or savior, I added, "And that conclude's today's piggyback ride. Tomorrow, we'll be closed for maintenance, please check back the next day if you want to go again."

She laughed and slid down. "Duly noted. I'm just going to run in and change."

I looked up, heavenward. "Please don't take long this time. I'm begging you," I said pulling my phone from my pocket to find the nearest rage room and get directions. I wasn't exactly sure there was one local to us, but I assumed there was a good chance.

"Promise," she said, laughing, and winked at me before she went off. "Five minutes. You can time me."

Why did I seriously doubt that?

I'd spent the next several minutes finding one, pulling up directions and getting the car started. Much to my surprise, Brandy really was fast. She tugged open the car door, changed and ready to go in under ten minutes.

"Well?" she asked.

"Eight. But not bad. Nothing compared to what I thought it'd be. I'm actually quite impressed."

She looked pleased with herself, too, and smiled wide. "Thank you very much. So where exactly are we going and what are we smashing? Oh, wait! Are we smashing those moles that pop up in arcade games? Oh! Are we going to an arcade?"

I laughed, fully amused by how this was keeping her guessing. "Not one for surprises, are you?"

She turned and faced me. "That obvious, huh?"

I shook my head and shifted into reverse. "No, not at all."

"Well, aren't you going to tell me?" she asked again. "Please!"

I handed her my phone so she could see for herself. It took her a second, but once she got it, she gasped. "A rage room. This is so cool!" She started bouncing up and down in her seat. "I'm so excited. I've never done this before. Have you?"

I shook my head. "Nope. It'll be a first for both of us."

"Oh my goodness. Fun!" That light I loved from Brandy was back and in full force.

We talked the entire car ride there, Brandy sharing with me the last time she did something that she thought registered as this cool. Apparently, that was hot yoga with Laurel, which was not as fun as everyone said it would be, according to Brandy.

"But it was definitely hot. I swear," Brandy said, giggling, as I opened the door to the rage room for her to enter first. She looked back and watched me follow her in. "Everyone was sweaty and I couldn't even concentrate on the teacher's instructions. It was definitely interesting, but all I could think about was when our next break would be so I could have a sip of water. More like a bottle, actually. Who could concentrate with all that sweat?"

I nodded. "Sounds like no fun at all. Hopefully, this won't be as bad as that."

She turned her head then and looked around. The place looked like a giant garage with graffiti on the wall that spelled out the words rage room in different color paint. There was a desk off to the side where a man was sitting, his hand on the side of his head, holding it up it seemed, as he peered down at something, most likely his phone.

I put my hand on the small of Brandy's back and gently steered her toward the desk. "We should probably check in, get the equipment we need."

She nodded and squealed. "I'm just so excited!"

The man at the desk popped his head up and Brandy covered her mouth and whispered, "Sorry." Then she looked over at me and repeated lower, "I'm so excited."

I chuckled. "I know."

I strummed my fingers on the desk when we got to it. The man looked at us with the most uninterested look ever. I supposed it was warranted. His job did seem dull, just sitting behind this desk watching people come and go all day. "Names," he prompted.

"Wyatt and Brandy."

He looked back down and I watched his eyes scan over the phone to see for the session I scheduled for us. He nodded his head when he found our names and handed us each a clipboard and sniffled before wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Fill these out," he demanded.

Brandy looked over at me and I shrugged my shoulders.

"It's just a waiver," he explained.

She nodded and signed hers, smiling. "Now, what? Do we get to smash things? And what are we smashing?"

I grinned and passed my signed paperwork over. I was about to answer her questions when the man interrupted by pointing to a bin off to the side. "You'll get your body suit, face shield, gloves, and shoe covers there. Return them to where you found them before you leave."

Brandy hopped over to the area and passed me everything I needed, then took it for herself. "I feel like a scientist or something," she said as she placed the face shield over her eyes. Then she snapped her fingers. "No, you know what? I feel like a construction worker."

I finished putting the shoe covers on as she struggled with her suit. Her foot got stuck in the leg part and she toppled over, falling into me. I grabbed her elbow and steadied her. "I got you," I assured her.

Her eyes peered into mine and she smiled. "I know," she whispered.

Then she cleared her throat and finished putting it on. "Who knew you needed to wear all this just to break a bunch of stuff?"

I cocked a brow. "You almost fell putting the suit on, let's consider it precautionary."

She swatted my arm and gave me a shocked expression. "Are you trying to tell me I'm a klutz?"

I chuckled and held my hands up. "Never. But you wouldn't want to get hurt, would you? Accidents do happen."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose." Then she jutted out her hip and put a hand on it, looking over to the side. "How do I look?"

I looked at her completely covered in the gear and couldn't help but smile. She looked absolutely beautiful, as always. "Like a ghostbuster," I answered.

She swatted my arm again. "Real nice," she mumbled.

I laughed. "I'm kidding. You look great, like you're ready to smash some shit."

"Heck yeah I am!" she yelled as she bent down and gave me a serious face, like it was game on.

I shook my head and patted her back. "Come on, we better find out which room we're going into."

"You booked the Fine China room," the man reminded me, "so you'll be in the room off to the left. You have fifteen minutes and can grab a bat at the door once you're in. The items are ceramic, porcelain, or pottery. You can use the bat or just throw the stuff." He shrugged. "Choice is yours."

I walked to the door, opened it and stepped back, extending my arm to let her go first. "After you."

"Woah!" she exclaimed and it seemed to echo in the small space as I followed her in.

The door closed behind us and she looked back before picking up a bat and swinging it in her hands. Then she pounded it in her palm. "You ready?"

"Are you?" I asked, chuckling.

"Oh, yeah!" she guaranteed me. "Ready to do some serious damage."

I grabbed my own bat and looked around. "Where should we start?" I asked. There were so many pieces, just as the man had said there would be. Had to be about thirty in total.

I jumped at the sound of ceramic breaking, the pieces hitting the floor one after another. I didn't expect her to start without me, but it was like once she started, she didn't intend on stopping anytime soon.

She smashed another. Then another. And another.

"You good?" I asked, backing away from her as she held the bat up again to break another piece.

She was out of breath when she finally answered. "Yeah, are you just going to watch me? Or are you going to have some fun, too?"

I narrowed my eyes and watched for a second longer before turning around, my back to hers, as I broke a ceramic vase sitting on the top of a shelf. It felt good. Really damn good, I decided. So I did it again. And again. Every time the bat hit another object, I thought about all the anger I'd felt over the years. The resentment. The bitterness. The soul-crushing sadness.

Susan, my brain shouted, this is for you! Why couldn't I save her?

Hell, I thought, as I smashed the next piece, I didn't even know she needed saving. I was so oblivious and stupid!

The final pieces of pottery hit the floor by my feet and I took a deep breath.

It wasn't like I was unhappy now. Far from it. I was happy with where I had landed. I liked my job with Andrés. I was enjoying my time with Brandy. But I wondered if that ache in my heart would ever go away. That desire to always feel the way Susan touched me, the way she looked at me. I couldn't get it out of my head. Some days the memories were so all-consuming I buried myself in work just to get away from it all.

But now it was something else that occupied my thoughts—someone else.

I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Brandy. This was supposed to be all an act and yet I wanted to know everything there was to know about her. I wanted to be there for her, with her. I didn't know how to explain it or if I could even put a label on it. I certainly wasn't ready for any of that. All I knew was I liked spending time with her and that was that.

The startling sound of sobbing and then crying had me turning around, putting aside my own thoughts. I looked over and watched Brandy as she bent down to the floor, her bat lying on the floor next to her, her gloved hand over her face shield. She was crying, the sound echoing as she continued.

"Hey," I whispered. I came behind her and bent down, placing my hands on her arms. "What's the matter?" I asked, concerned. "Are you hurt?" I didn't know how that was possible with all this gear, but stranger things had happened.

She shook her head and cried out, "No!"

Then she turned around in my arms and dropped her head on my shoulder. "I'm so stupid, Wyatt."

I rubbed her back and closed my eyes. How could she say that? How could she ever think that? Brandy was far from stupid. "No, you're not."

She began blubbering as she cried more. "I wasted so much time with him. I threw away all that time." She went on, "I lied, Wyatt. I don't want to give up on men." She picked her head up and looked in my eyes. "I just want to stop falling for the wrong ones."

I sighed. "I wish I could tell you there was a guidebook or something, but I don't think there is."

"How do you do that?" She searched my eyes and let out a deep breath. "You always know exactly what to say."

I shook my head and took my face shield off. "No," I said, "you're giving me too much credit, Brandy. I'm just as screwed up as everyone else. I don't have all the answers. Believe me."

Her facial expression softened and she removed her face shield, too. Her eyes had that twinkle back in them and I watched as she swallowed before leaning in. We were a breath away from one another and I could feel her hot breath on me as she exhaled heavily, fully spent from unleashing all those emotions. She took off one of her gloves and placed her bare hand on my cheek. I watched as she looked in my eyes.

I knew I could very well lean in a little further and our lips would touch, that we would share another kiss.

It would be explosive.

It would be passionate.

It would be tender.

It would be incredible.

But I was no good for her and I had to remember that. She could do better than me, I knew. I couldn't give her what she deserved. I was too broken.

I got up and extended my hand out to her. "We should probably go. I'm sure our time is close to up."

"I've got it," she said, her expression turning cold. Like she was pissed. And she should be. We were playing with fire here and I needed to be strong, keep my promise—I would not fall for her.

The trouble was, it was harder than I imagined. I couldn't really pretend this was all an act, like feelings weren't getting involved.

Standing now, Brandy agreed, "We really should be getting back anyway."

And just like that, the moment was over.