Page 4 of Wish You Would

“Particular? What the hell does that mean?”

“It means you can be an uptight asshole sometimes,” Tuck laughs.

Daisy and Briar arrive back at the kitchen before I have a chance to respond, so instead I just roll my eyes. Okay, I might be a little Type A. When Tuck and I were roommates, he learned what would set me off. He put his shoes away in the closet, he did his dishes, he didn’t leave his shit lying around.

I scrub my hand over the back of my neck.

“You okay, Holdey?” Daisy asks. “Another one of your headaches?”

“Nah, I’m good. Just a little tight.” I stretch my neck from side to side.

“Well, just so you know, Briar gives great massages. I’m not sure how, but she gets in deep. For being as tiny as she is, the girl can really get in there.”

Fuck my life.I know what she said, but that’s not what Iheard. I may be aniceguy, but I’m also a healthy, red-blooded 28-year-old man. I really need Daisy to stop putting thoughts in my head about Briar’s hands on my body.

“You keep saying things like that and I might get a big head over here.” Briar smiles.

“See, Holdey… this arrangement is going to work out well,” Daisy assures me. “Nightly massages sound good to me.”

Briar laughs, and it lights up her entire face. Her gold-rimmed green eyes shine, and her cheeks turn the softest shade of pink to match her lips.

Well,damn.

Moving her in may not be my finest idea, but it’s too late now.

“So, do you have a car here?” I ask Briar. “Or do you need a ride?”

“I have my car.”

“Great. I guess I’ll see you at my house then,” I answer, clapping Tucker on the shoulder before leaning into Daisy for a hug. “It’s the first one on the right when you drive down Haven Harbor.”

“Got it.” She smiles, and fuck, is it gorgeous.

On the drive back to my place, I’m not surprised to find that my mood has turned to shit. Whether I like it or not, I’m getting a new roommate. And I’m going to need to learn how to keep her at an arm’s length.

And I can already tell that’s going to be really fucking hard.

TWO

IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME.

Briar

The song drifting through the radio is one I know by heart. The Jonas Brothers. It was playing when I met him. It’s our song. At least, it used to be.

That’s all it takes for my mind to return to the one thing I’ve been trying to avoid: Vancouver, and the guy I fell in love with there. Or maybe it was just lust.

I knew the second I saw him; we had an instant connection. I wanted to know everything about him. Every time he touched me, it felt dizzying, like I was spinning on the fastest carnival ride.

But that time in my life is behind me. As hard as it was to leave my hometown, he gave me no other choice. I had to do what was best for me. So here I am, back in Reed Point. I’ll get through this, even if it means starting over. Every day seems to get a little easier. I haven’t thought of him or how he humiliated me since I boarded the plane at YVR—that’s one whole day. It’s not much, but it’s progress.

I roll down the window as I turn onto Haven Harbor, taking in the view of the ocean from the secluded street.Stupid song. I don’t want to think about him. Not today and actually, not ever again. Breathing in the salty air, I pull my car in front of the small split-level beach house that I’ll be calling home for the next couple of months.

I’m still not sure how this happened. One minute I was practically homeless and the next, I’m moving in with Holden Banks. I may have been distracted by that disastrous phone call, but I definitely noticed how good he looked when he showed up at Daisy’s place today. Fresh off his run, his dark hair a mess. He felt good too when I wrapped my arms around him. I didn’t need to pull him into a hug, but I saw the opportunity and I took it. I wasn’t going to miss the chance to feel his rock-hard body up against mine, and it didn’t disappoint. I bet he has chiseled abs under his shirt. I bet his skin would feel so good under my fingertips. He probably would be great in—

“Are you coming?”

Startled, I whip my gaze out the window to find Holden standing there, staring at me expectantly. I lift a hand to shield my eyes from the blinding sun. The temperature on the dash reads 94 degrees and if it wasn’t for the air conditioning in my car, I would be sweltering. A blush heats my cheeks as I swallow. “Yes, yes, I’m coming.”

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