16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Jamie

I towel dry my hair as I get out of the shower. I still can't believe I let Sean and Jess talk me into a makeover. It's the silliest thing I've ever heard.

"Guys don't get makeovers," I protest to my empty house. "Right?"

I throw on a pair of black sweats and a black long-sleeved henley. I look in the mirror and shake my head. I look like I'm going to a casual funeral. I feel like I'm going to a funeral, which is strange since, really, I'm just going shopping.

And there it is! I pull my forehead and rub my face. Shopping is like a funeral—the death of my individuality .

My phone beeps, snapping me from my morbid thoughts.

Sean: I'm on my way. Sean: Be there in about ten.

My eyebrows shoot up, and I'm surprised Jess won't be involved in today's activities. A sense of relief washes over me. This feels humiliating enough. The last thing I want is for my sister to see me exposed and vulnerable.

I love my sister very much; we've always had a great relationship. But it's been a bit superficial. For instance, I've never talked to my sister about feelings like the O'Connell siblings do. Jess and I have been friends but not best friends.

Our relationship consisted more of the "teasing siblings who tolerated each other" variety, which is why suddenly having her in all facets of my life feels completely weird.

Don't get me wrong. I love Sean and Jessica together—they fit, and I wouldn't want them to be with anyone else. But I sometimes feel like I lost my best friend in the process.

A horn interrupts my thoughts, and I rush to the kitchen to grab a protein shake. I grab my keys, slip on boots, and put on a hat and jacket.

I step on the porch to see that we've gotten a few more inches of snow overnight, and the sun's reflection has me squinting my eyes a bit.

I slip into Sean's car and notice him eyeing me with a smirk.

"Did Jessica pick out your outfit?" He shakes his head, laughing. "There are times when I think there is no way you two can be related; then you walk out in an outfit like that, looking completely disheveled, and I realize there's no way you couldn't be related."

I force a smile and gently punch him on the shoulder. "Shut up and drive. I feel completely out of my element right now." I hesitate for a moment—I don't want him to think that I'm too keen on this—but my curiosity gets the better of me. "No Jessica today?"

"She'll be meeting us at the salon." Sean looks forward as he pulls away from the house, snow crunching under the car.

"What?! No one said anything about a salon! My hair is fine." The grin on his face has me completely understanding why my sister complained about Sean O'Connell all those years. He can be an overbearing meddler, and he' s way too happy while acting that way.

"You'll love it." He waves a hand dismissively as he glances in my direction and smiles that famous Sean O'Connell smile that makes women worldwide want to do whatever he says. "I promise."

I feel a scowl on my face and cross my arms, staring straight ahead.

I hear a chuckle. "You know, I always wondered when you'd feel this way." He teases. "You always went after women who were completely superficial."

"Hey." I try to act insulted. "That's not completely true!"

"Barbie? Tiffani? Marcy? Need I continue?" Sean laughs. I try to deepen my scowl, but I can't.

A smile stretches across my face as he says those names. "Okay, okay. So, I picked women I knew wouldn't ask much of me. I just wasn't ready."

"Are you ready now?" The tone of his voice hardens a bit. "This is my sister we're talking about. Not only that, it's Evie. Evie deserves—"

"Sean," I interrupt. "Why do you think I ended things when I left?"

He doesn't respond. We sit in silence for a bit, and I run a shaky hand through my hair. Hair that might just be getting chopped off. I shake my head at the left turn my thoughts took and sigh.

I knew I wasn't the man for Evie. At least not the man she deserved. But what I know now is that I want to be. Being away from her made me realize how perfect she is. And not just for me, because Evelyn O'Connell is perfect.

She's beautiful, witty, and kind—I mean, she's put up with Jessica all these years. Need I say more?

Evie is everything a man could want. But most importantly, she gets me in a way no one besides Sean does. She always has. I just never noticed it before.

When things started changing, it was seamless. We fell into it so easily that I didn't even know I was falling for her until after I left.

Would I have ended things if I had realized I was in love with her? Probably. I know how that sounds, and I agree that it's bad. But it's Evie, and marriage wasn't even on my radar.

I groan. "I know I've only made things harder this way, but I needed to do what I did to know what I know now. I know Evie is the woman I want. She makes me better."

"I'm glad to hear it. But you know if you hurt her…" He growls.

"I have no intention of hurting her again, but if I do, I give you permission to smack me as often as you want." I raise my hands in surrender. Sean laughs and puts on Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee, belting out the lyrics.

"This is nice." I yell over the music.

"What, hanging out?" Sean asks, turning down the music.

"You know I love my sister, but I kind of feel like I've lost my best friend a bit with the two of you together."

We pull up to a red light, and he places his hand on my shoulder. He gives me one of his intense looks. "I've always thought of you as a brother, Jamie. Marrying Jessica means we actually will be."

His words make my heart clench. I am so grateful that my sister is marrying my best friend, but I also feel like I'm losing him.

As if creepily reading my mind, he responds, "You're not losing a best friend; you're gaining a brother."

"How do all of you do that?" My eyebrows shoot up. A horn honks behind us, and my lips lift at the corners. "Green light."

"All of who?" Sean asks as he pulls into the parking lot of our local shop. Sorry, what I should say is Sean's favorite shop in Willow Falls. They love it when he's home and has a project.

"You, Evie, and Liam. You all seem able to see what's going on in someone's head."

He shrugs, and the engine's hum is silenced. "Try being their siblings; it's annoying."

I meet him at his side of the car and slap him on the shoulder. "Not much different than being a close friend of the family. Trust me, I know!"

We both laugh. Bells announce our arrival.

"Back here," Stephanie shouts from the back of the store.

We make our way toward her, and I groan when I see the two piles of clothes waiting for us.

"Hey Sean, Jamie." Stephanie smiles at us and throws a shirt and a pair of pants onto the pile. "I looked through everything we have and grabbed the items you suggested, Sean and in the sizes you told me."

Sean rubs his hands together, and a gleeful smile crosses his face. They both look at me expectantly, and I feel my shoulders sag.

"Let's see what we have." Sean walks over to the piles and starts sorting them into two additional piles. The ‘yes' and the ‘no' piles.

We're going to be here for a long time. I sigh and head over to the chair by the fitting room. I lean against the back of the chair, close my eyes, and wait to be told what to do next.

We walk out of the shop, and I think that maybe Sean knows what he's doing. That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and I'm actually happy with the new clothes he picked out. He has a really good eye for people and clothes.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Sean asks as if reading my mind again.

"Nope." I pop the p and slam the car door.

"You had fun! Admit it." Sean looks over at me as he puts the key in the ignition.

I press my lips together to contain a smile that wants to break through. Sean laughs at me and pushes me with his hand. "I knew it!"

His phone rings, and he puts it on speaker.

"Hey, babe." His voice softens as he talks to my sister. "Are you there?"

"I'm pulling into the parking lot now." Jessica's voice fills the car. "Where are you?"

"We're just leaving the shop and will be there in a few minutes."

"Soooooo, how are you feeling, Jamie?"

The smile I've been holding back breaks through. "I'm good, Jess."

"Great!" I can hear her clapping her hands together. It will take me a while to get used to this happy Jessica, but it doesn't look like she's going anywhere. "Wait until after your haircut."

A frown creases my brow as I run my hand through my hair. There isn't that much to begin with. What are they thinking of doing?

"Don't worry. Julio won't be doing anything crazy." I stare at the phone, my eyes wide.

Great! Is my sister going to be able to read my thoughts, too?

"Sean knows what he's doing. I've been in your shoes, remember?" When Sean was helping her to find a boyfriend, he had her get new clothes and a new hairstyle. So she knows exactly what this feels like.

Thank goodness—no mind reading.

"Sweetie, we're almost there. See you in a bit. Love you," Sean says.

"Love you more." Jess tops as she hangs up. Turns out my sister's competitive nature extends even to her relationship.

"No, she doesn't." There's laughter in Sean's voice as he says that. "She loves me a lot, but definitely not more than I love her."

I look at my best friend and take in the aura of love around him. A smile creeps up my face, and I shake my head. As much as I still can't believe I'm letting Sean and Jessica help me, I pray it works.

I don't care how foolish I feel about all of this if I end up with Evie. I'm willing to play the fool for her. Plus, getting new clothes was fun. Maybe I'll enjoy the ‘styling' too.

I shrug. Anything is possible, right?