Slide (Boosted Hearts Book 3) Read online

  He tore his eyes away, back to Hugh. “You’ll be fine. There aren’t that many people here. Today’s about you and Shay. Once you see her walking toward you, you won’t see any of us. It’ll just be you and her.”

  He had a similar reaction whenever Lucy walked into a room. Everyone else faded into the background and it was only the two of them.

  Joe grinned. “Aw, that was sweet. It’s almost like you know what you’re talking about.” He winked and gave him a nudge. “Anything you want to tell us?”

  Adam froze. “What?”

  “There is a woman, right?”

  Adam hoped they didn’t see the guilt scrawled all over his face. “You know better than that.” The words felt thick on his tongue.

  Thankfully, he was saved from any more of Joe’s interrogation by Darcey.

  She strode over, wrapped her arm around Joe’s neck, and yanked him down for a kiss. When it ended she smiled up at Joe’s surprised expression.

  “What? I like weddings,” she said.

  Joe’s brows shot up. “Yeah? How much?”

  “A whole lot.” She held his gaze, winked, smacked him on the ass, and walked away.

  Joe couldn’t take his eyes off his woman, but a scowl rearranged his features. “She totally did that on purpose.”

  “Did what?” Hugh grumbled.

  “Left me with a boner and no way to take care of it.”

  Adam shook his head and lifted his hands. “I’m getting a beer.”

  Hugh’s giant paw shot out and fisted the front of Adam’s shirt. “You’re not going anywhere.” He scowled. “The wedding’s about to start. You need to be up front with me.”

  “What? Why?” Adam glanced at the front, where a somber looking woman stood. The celebrant?

  Hugh frowned. “You’re a groomsman.”

  His friend said it like it should be obvious. Adam guessed it was. Guilt slammed into him so hard he would have staggered back if Hugh hadn’t chosen that moment to yank him forward. Adam collided with the big bastard, followed by a lung rattling back pound.

  “You’re as much a brother to me as that numbnut,” he said angling his head to Joe.

  “Hey, I resent that,” Joe growled. “Now, can I get in on that hug or what?”

  “No,” Hugh said, releasing Adam.

  Jesus, Adam was going to throw the fuck up.

  Turned out he didn’t have time for that. The celebrant called them over. Joe pinned a flower on his shirt and shoved him to the front with him and Hugh.

  Music started and everyone turned to look at the house. The bridesmaids walked out first. Shay’s friend and ex-boss, Jane, walked out, arm linked with Edna. They moved to the front slowly since Edna suffered from arthritis, and took their place across from him and Joe.

  Edna threw him a wink when she caught his eye and he winked back, unable to contain his grin.

  The music changed and Hugh froze, eyes locked on the door, waiting for Shay to appear.

  Then she was there.

  She looked stunning. Her red hair was down and she had a band of flowers around her head, a matching bunch in her hands. Her floaty white dress flowed over her curves and her cute round baby bump. But her smile said it all. Adam didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone so damn happy.

  Until he turned to Hugh.

  But Hugh wasn’t smiling. No, the man looked awestruck. Tears rolled down his friend’s face and the big man didn’t give two shits, too wrapped up in the woman he loved to care.

  Hugh didn’t see anyone but Shay.

  Adam’s gaze searched the guests gathered around watching. Struck again when his eyes landed on Lucy, fucking stunned by the beauty of her. Lucy was watching Shay make her way to Hugh, and her pale green eyes shone like emeralds. She was crying. The woman even looked beautiful with tears running down her face, lower lip quivering. The sight of her like that slammed him in the gut.

  He’d always hated weddings. They made him feel uncomfortable, antsy, but right then…shit, he would have given anything to be in Hugh’s place, to be standing there watching Lucy walk toward him, smiling at him—in love with him.

  He was in love with her.

  With his best friends’ little sister. He had been for a long time, he realized.

  Right then, her gaze slid to him, and though he should, he couldn’t make himself look away. Her lids fluttered and she bit her lower lip. That mouth. How many times had he fantasized about kissing her? Too many to count. Now he had, and he fucking hated that he couldn’t walk over to her now, pull her into his arms, and do just that.

  But he couldn’t.

  He forced himself to look away, back to the happy couple as they said their vows. Finally, the celebrant pronounced them man and wife and Hugh lifted his bride into his arms and kissed the hell out of her. Everyone cheered and rose to wish them well. Adam one of the first to shake Hugh’s hand and hug Shay.

  With everyone occupied, he took advantage, moving back, needing a minute.

  Jesus, he’d thought he’d made peace with the future he’d mapped out for himself, had accepted he’d always be on his own, but today, watching his best friend marry the woman he loved, and soon raising a family—Adam couldn’t fucking breathe. Lucy had shown up, and shaken him up. Shit, suddenly it felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest. He’d wanted that, what they had, that bond—family. And for the first time, the reality of what he was going to miss out on hit like a cinder block to the back of the head. Because now he’d allowed himself to see it, imagine it…with Lucy.

  He spun away and strode to the house. A few minutes away, that’s all he needed to clear his head, catch his damn breath.

  People followed him inside, to get drinks, to help serve the food, use the bathroom, so he headed upstairs. The house was Hugh’s now, but it used to be the Colton family home. Hugh had been restoring it, but stalled for a while. Now it was finished and looked fantastic. Shay’s stamp was all over the place. There was color and light and flowers. They’d made it a home together.

  Something twisted and coiled inside him.

  Jealousy.

  “Fuck,” he muttered.

  He had to stop thinking about all this shit. He’d gotten this far doing just that. He did not think about the past, or the future; he lived for the moment. Did whatever he had to do to get through each day…each night. Now his damn head was spinning, his fucking heart racing. He’d planned to sit at the top of the stairs for a little bit, but his gaze slid to the door at the end of the hall. Lucy’s old room. Before he knew what he was doing, he was walking toward it, and pushing the door open.

  It had been turned into an office for Shay. She ran a graphic design business from home. The walls were blue now and there was a large desk by the window. He’d only been in there a couple of times when Lucy lived there, when the walls had been yellow and she’d had these white curtains with little yellow daisies on them. She’d had posters of boy bands stuck to the back of the door, notes and pictures with friends and family on a corkboard on the wall above the small desk Hugh had picked up. He’d found it by a dumpster, brought it home, cleaned it up, and painted it for her. Lucy had loved that crappy desk.

  A bookshelf stood in the corner and he recognized it as Lucy’s, full of books, and by the looks, most of them poetry. She’d obviously left them there when she’d gone to college. He slid one out and stared blindly down at it.

  The last time he’d been in this room…

  Yeah, Lucy had been crying.

  He’d come over for a barbecue. Their mom had been at work, so Joe had invited a few girls around. Lucy was supposed to be staying at a friend’s, but had come home unexpectedly. She’d caught him on the couch with one of them.

  Lucy had only been sixteen. Sweet and young and so damn beautiful. The look on her face when she’d seen them. He’d already known then that she had a crush on him. She’d spun away and flown up the stairs. He’d followed her. The only thing on his mind had been that she was upset, she was his bes
t friends’ little sister and he’d somehow upset her.

  He’d knocked on her door.

  “Go away!”

  “Luce?” He pushed the door open. “You okay?”

  She furiously wiped at her tears. “I’m fine.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I had a fight with Alice.”

  He didn’t know what to do or say. She was crying, and every time she blinked, more tears replaced the ones she wiped away. He walked over to her and dragged her off her bed, pulling her into a hug.

  She stiffened then shoved at him. “I’m fine. Go back to your girlfriend.”

  “She’s not my girlfriend.” He didn’t know why he had the urge to explain himself to her.

  Lucy snorted. “Figures.”

  He gripped her biceps and looked down at her. Jesus, she was stunning. God, he shouldn’t be thinking about her like that. He had to curb this, stop this crush she had on him. Now. “I don’t want a girlfriend. I’m twenty-five. Why would I tie myself down with one woman?”

  She blinked up at him, and sucked in a shaky breath. “Will you…will you ever want one? A girlfriend, I mean?”

  Fuck. He shook his head. “Relationships aren’t for me, Luce. I don’t want that, and that will never change.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Understand what I’m saying?”

  Her face flushed red.

  “Luce—”

  “Maybe I don’t want that either. Maybe I want to go out with loads of guys and—”

  “Like hell,” he said.

  “Why?” She scowled up at him. “Why can’t a girl sleep with whoever she wants and not be labeled a slut? Or a whore? It’s a double standard.”

  “I agree, but that’s not you.” The idea made him crazy, made his damn blood boil.

  “How the hell would you know?”

  “I know you.”

  “You think you do, but you don’t.” Anger flashed through her eyes. “I’m not even a virgin anymore,” she blurted.

  He stilled, then something bigger than he knew what to do with expanded inside him, pushing him to almost breaking point. “Who?” he gritted out. “I’ll fucking kill him.”

  “That’s none of your business.” She tried to pull away, but he couldn’t make himself let her go. “Why the hell do you care?”

  “Jesus Christ, Lucy. You’re too damn young.”

  “Kate Peters just started dating a guy who’s twenty-four. She’s seventeen.”

  “Kate Peters’ boyfriend should be locked up.”

  “I’m not a damn child!”

  “Yes. You are.”

  She froze in his arms, the flush on her cheeks darkening. “I want you to leave…”

  “What are you doing up here?”

  Lucy’s voice behind him yanked him from the memory, and his eyelids slid shut briefly before he turned to face her. She stood at the door, eyes glassy from crying like they’d been back then, but this time it had nothing to do with him.

  “I just needed a minute.” He shrugged. “There’re a lot of people down there.”

  She searched his gaze. “Not that many.”

  He glanced down at the book in his hands again then back at her, trying to work out what to say.

  She motioned to the book, slender throat working. “Christina Rossetti’s one of my favorite poets.”

  An image of her by the lake, looking up to the sky as she recited one of her other favorite poets, rushed through his mind and pain lanced through him. “You’ve been avoiding me,” he said.

  Lucy was quiet for a few minutes. “I have.”

  “I guess I don’t blame you.” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “At the bar, the other night—”

  The toilet down the hall flushed, and the door opened and closed, followed by the sound of retreating steps.

  Lucy moved back to the door. “I better get back.”

  “Luce…”

  “We have nothing to talk about, Adam.” Her gaze darted around the room, anywhere but at him. “I shouldn’t have hidden in your car, forced things between us. You were right. I am reckless. I don’t think things through, but that’s going to change, and I apologize for putting you in that position.” Her eyes finally lifted to his. “Let’s just…we’ll forget anything ever happened, okay?”

  Forget? How the hell could he forget? He didn’t want to. What she asked was impossible.

  Christ. He hated that she was beating herself up over this, that he’d made her feel that way. That she’d decided he was like everyone else, and saw her like everyone else did. Hugh and Joe loved her, would do anything for her, but they didn’t see Lucy. Not anymore. Not as the woman she was now. They still saw her as the crazy kid, the troublemaker. But Adam saw her, he always had—and then he’d gone and said those things to her in anger after she’d gotten hurt, for what? To shame her into being more careful? To give him some kind of peace of mind?

  God, he missed the way she’d looked at him when they were away.

  The way she looked at him now was like she didn’t know him at all. He’d done that, put that distance between them.

  He opened his mouth, not sure what he was going to say, but he had to say something, anything, so she didn’t hate him anymore.

  But she shook her head and turned away. “See you around, Adam.”

  Then she walked out the door.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lucy took her shoes off and tiptoed up the steps to the trailer door. Edna, her new neighbor, had ears like sonar. She was a hoot—the stuff that came out of her mouth was freaking hilarious—but she was not what you’d call a sweet old lady, and tonight, after a long shift at the bar, Lucy wasn’t in the mood for small talk.

  She let herself in, turned on the light, shut the door, and leaned against it with a sigh of relief. Ever since her confrontation with Adam at the wedding yesterday, she’d felt off balance. She’d gone downstairs and he’d followed a short time later. He hadn’t approached or tried to talk to her again, but she’d felt his eyes on her. It had unnerved her, confused her, pissed her the hell off. He’d made it more than clear over the years he wasn’t interested in relationships, especially with her, despite the obvious sexual tension crackling between them. They’d agreed when they came home it would be over. Now they were home and he was making it goddamn hard to try and put it all behind her.

  Did he even know he was doing it?

  God, she needed to try and stop thinking about him, about the nights they’d spent together, and down by the lake.

  She groaned. How was she going to do that with him staring at her like he had whenever they were in the same room?

  She pushed away from the door and grabbed a Diet Coke from the fridge. After taking a sip, she headed to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and stripped off. Even when the guests had been standing out the front of Hugh and Shay’s house waving them off on their honeymoon, she’d felt Adam’s eyes burning into the side of her head, like he was trying to penetrate her damn skull. What was he playing at? What did he want from her? Did he even know himself?

  Thankfully, no one seemed to notice. The last thing she needed was her brothers getting pissed with her for something else, or worse, falling out with Adam. At least with Hugh away for the next two weeks, she didn’t have to worry about him showing up all the time to give her another lecture. Her brother hadn’t been happy when Shay had offered Lucy her trailer. He had said no, that he was putting his foot down, and like hell was Lucy moving in, but somehow Shay had talked him around. She always could. Still, he’d made it very clear he didn’t like it.

  The apartment above the garage had always been temporary, but Hugh saw her moving into the trailer as her taking another step farther from returning to school.

  Her belly coiled tight. Disappointing her brother sucked, but what could she do? She quickly shoved those thoughts from her head. Leaving school, giving up on a career she’d desperately wanted, on top of everything else that had been happening, had been hard enough. Hugh and Joe’s disappointment, a
nd now whatever was going on between her and Adam, made everything ten times worse.

  Climbing under the hot spray, she washed off the night, more than ready to crawl into bed. She quickly washed her hair and got out, and had just finished drying off when someone banged at the door. Not softly, but with some strength and heat behind it.

  She froze.

  A wave of nausea hit before she could allow logic to kick in. She forced herself to breathe, to calm the hell down. Of course it wasn’t Daniel. He didn’t even know where she lived. The bang came again, this time more insistent.

  Shay. What if the baby was coming early, or if something was wrong?

  Lucy dashed from the bathroom out into the small living room and yanked the door open.

  She jerked back in surprise.

  Adam.

  He stood there, staring at her, and he looked…pissed. No, he looked furious.

  She was only wearing a towel and her nipples tightened purely from the sight of him, angry or not. All flaring nostrils and flexing biceps. Goddamn it. She quickly crossed her arms to cover up her lack of self-control. “What are you doing here?’’

  He didn’t say a word, just shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled something out. Her phone. He held it up.

  She blinked at it. “W-where did you get that?”

  His jaw was tight, teeth gritted. “It was in the car when I got it back.”

  She reached for it, but he shook his head, gripping it tight in his fist and holding it out of reach. “You have a lot of missed calls and texts.”

  Oh God. Please, no.

  “You went through my phone?” she whispered.

  He didn’t even bother faking guilt, pretending he felt bad for snooping. “Honestly, I’d forgotten about it, had it buried among my stuff. I remembered last night, and decided I’d bring it to you.” He took a step forward, forcing her back. “I threw it on my bed while I did a few things. I must have accidentally turned it on when I got it out. It started blowing up right after.”