43. Linc

43

LINC

TWO YEARS LATER

C alifornia.

I sit in my rental car, looking up at the massive, two-story beach house, and I mean the fucker is literally right on the beach. It has large glass windows, and on the top story, there’s a balcony with chairs and a fire pit.

Apparently, my sister goes big.

I take a deep breath and force myself to get out of the car, walking up to the front door.

I’ve never been here. I haven’t seen anyone in my family except my mother for two years. I took some time to be a bitter asshole after P moved out, then I decided to take the time apart and do something productive.

Nothing has really changed. I miss Penelope with every breath I take. I think about her every single day, but I haven’t called. I haven’t sent a message. Nothing.

I wanted her to have the space she needed to find out who she was, like she told me she needed. But the thoughts creep in, wondering if someone else has discovered how amazing she is and stolen her away.

Two years is too fucking long. Time’s up. I’m here.

I have to know.

I ring the doorbell, and it’s Lola who answers the door, looking the same as she did two years ago. Dressed to the nines, her hair and makeup perfect, even if it’s early morning. I think she wakes up like this.

“Hey, sis.”

Her face lights up, and she wraps her arms around my neck tightly. “Oh my God, Lincoln! You’re here! You’re actually in California.”

I hug her back, having missed her more than I realized. “Yeah, I figured it was time.”

She shoves me away playfully, but I don’t miss the tears in her eyes. “Yeah, asshole. Two years is a long time. Where have you been?”

“You’re the one that moved away.”

“We go back to Kansas to visit. You’re never there.”

I couldn’t be, and Lola knows it.

“Lola, who’s here?” We both turn as P walks down the stairs, and I smile up at her. I was worried she’d be totally different, some posh, fake version of herself. But I’m smiling like an idiot because she’s still looks like herself with her brown hair pulled up on her head in a messy bun, dressed in a tank top and sweat shorts.

She stops on the bottom step, just staring at me. “Linc?’

“Hey, P.” It’s awkward, but it’s also not. As she rushes to me and her arms wrap around my waist, pulling my body to hers, it feels like no time has passed.

“You’re really here?”

“That’s exactly what I said,” Lola laughs as I hug Penelope to my body, already not wanting to let her go.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

Lola wipes a tear away from her face and clears her throat. “How long are you staying?”

“A couple of days.”

P smiles up at me, still not having let me go. “We have two guest rooms to choose from.”

“I’ll probably just stay in a hotel.”

Lola waves that off, and P releases me as my sister gestures for me to come inside. “No way. We haven’t seen you for two years, Lincoln. You’re staying here.”

P smiles happily. “Definitely. You’re not going to find a better decorated hotel. Although we do offer our services to them.”

I look around the sophisticated home. “Seems like you guys are doing pretty well for yourselves.”

They both are beaming with pride now as Lola waves her hand in an effort to get me to follow her and take the tour of their home. “We have. It’s taken a lot of work, and unfortunately, using my last name, but our interior design firm has really taken off. We even have some celebrity clients.”

I had no doubt they would be successful. “That’s great.” I turn to P. “You finish your courses?”

“Not quite yet, but getting there. We’ve been swamped.”

“Good problem to have.”

We walk into their modern kitchen, and I see the view of their backyard, which is a sandy beach with the ocean right there.

P joins my side as I stare out the glass wall of their kitchen. “I liked the lake, but this is something else.”

I lean into her ear, keeping my voice as quiet as I can. “You’ll have to show me later because right now I’m Team Lake.”

She swallows, her slender neck quivering with the action. And I think her mind is going right where mine is, to when I fucked her in the lake. “We’ll certainly have to do that.”

She’s still mine.

“Are you two going to make me uncomfortable the entire time Lincoln is here?”

I laugh and turn around, looking back at my sister. “Yeah. Probably.”

“I’m going to make breakfast.”

P stretches, and I can’t take my eyes off her slender waist, full tits, and long legs. I’ve never been more attracted to anyone, and I seriously doubt I ever will be. “I’m going to go take a shower.”

The look she tosses me over her shoulder as she leaves makes my dick hard and crave her so fucking badly, I don’t give a fuck if my sister is here or not. But I know now’s not the time to join her.

Not yet.

I watch her leave, and Lola starts buzzing around the kitchen, starting to prepare breakfast. “Stop staring, creeper.”

I laugh and take a seat at their kitchen island. “Can’t help it.”

She’s holding an egg carton in her hand, and as she turns to me with a serious look, I know we are about to have one of our famous talks. “So, you’re not over her? After two years apart?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be over her, Lola.”

She smiles at that, satisfied with my answer as she places the carton on the counter and grabs a pan. “You can have it all, you know. You deserve to be happy. And so does she.”

“This coming from the girl who talked her into leaving me?”

Yeah, I’m still a little bitter about it. “Not you, Lincoln.” She cracks eggs into a mixing bowl. “There—all the painful memories. You guys were killing each other slowly. And it was not okay.”

I swallow hard, thinking about everything we did to each other over the years. But in the last two years, nothing significant happened at all, not to me anyway. I worked to make a career which was a necessity but just a means to get back to P. I just floated through, waiting to get here.

She turns on the gas burner of the stove. “You’re both in a good place now.”

“I’m worried she’ll always feel like I’m with his girl.”

I watch her, thinking that over, her eyes conflicted. “She was never his, Lincoln.”

It’s hard to hear her say that. But part of me hopes it’s true, which also makes me feel like a prick because Colt isn’t here to fight me for her. He deserved that chance.

“I never thought I’d see you just lie down. I thought you would pout for a couple of days and then show up here and sling her over your shoulder.”

“I’m not a fucking caveman. She said she needed this.”

She smiles. “And to me, that tells me exactly how much you love her. You gave her time. You’ve always been a fighter. Fight for her.”

“Not exactly a fair fight with Colt being dead.”

She shakes her head. “No. You don’t need to fight Colt.” I know just saying his name is hard for her as she sighs. “He loved you. You loved him. Penelope loved you both. The only thing you need to fight is guilt and fear.”

“I did love him.”

She smiles again, pouring the egg mixture into the pan and topping it with vegetables. “I know that, dummy. We all did. His memory will always live on. He only lived for eighteen years, but my God, he left his mark.”

I grin at that, thinking about my brother who tried so hard to be perfect and almost was. “Yeah, he really did.”

“Neither you nor Penelope will ever be happy without the other. You went searching for her at eleven years old.” She shrugs her shoulders casually, challenging me. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you don’t want to fight for her. You didn’t then.”

I roll my eyes, knowing she’s trying to bait me, but I’ve already made up my mind to get P for good. “You’re a real pain in the ass.”

Doesn’t bug her at all. “Probably why I’m still single.”

“Yeah well, I hear chicks marry their fathers, so I’m definitely good with you staying single.”

“Oh, believe me, I’ll never marry anyone like him.”

She grabs three plates from the cabinet, placing the omelets on them.

“Fight for her, Linc.”

I nod my head as P walks back in, her hair down and wet, wearing jean shorts and a thin strapped tank top.

I will.