Page 76 of I Wanna Be Your Lager

She playfully backhands my chest. “I’m making the executive decision, and it was the baby.”

I laugh. Fuck. I never expected my life to do a complete one-eighty in the span of two months. Single-handedly, one woman changed the course of my entire life for the better. I don’t want to imagine what my life would be without her. She’s my sunflower. Pointing me toward the sun. Filling me with warmth.

“I’ll call the landlord tomorrow.” I brush my thumb over her cheek. “We’ll move in together.”

“Sounds perfect.” Her soft smile warms me.

“Only one small problem. We can’t move in for two months.”

“It wouldn’t be a Lach-and-Eve relationship without a few bumps.” She places a hand on her stomach and wiggles her eyebrows. “We’ve waited this long. What’s sixty more days?”

Every day, I fall deeper and harder for this woman. Leaning in, I press my lips to hers in a chaste kiss. I pull back, but close enough that our lips still touch. “Can we read your book?”

Eve’s hazel eyes glint in the lamplight. She jumps off the couch and strolls to her bedroom. She emerges with the book in hand. The cushion dips as she takes a seat next to me. I wrap my arm around her shoulder, tucking her against my side. Her finger slides over the pages until she finds the bookmark.

“Do you think she’s going to take the new job?”

Her gaze lifts to mine. “That’s a spoiler. I can’t tell you that.”

“I think if she does, the relationship is over. I want to believe she’ll stay, but he did her dirty by ignoring her at the party. So she has every right to leave.”

Eve chuckles. “You’re really into the story, aren’t you?”

“You told me romance stories have to end in a happily ever after, but I don’t see how this one can. There are too many forces pulling them apart. I need to find out.”

She giggles and snuggles deep against me. “I assure you there’s a happily ever after.” She opens the book, pulls out the bookmark, and passes it to me. “It’s your chapter.”

I grab the book from her and clear my throat. She rests her head on my chest, right over my heart. “Chapter eighteen.”

THIRTY-EIGHT

GRUNTS AND FLYING FISTS

Eve

Over the past month, I’ve given Jake the silent treatment, which is much easier for him since his style of communication mostly consists of grunts and flying fists. Needless to say, I’m the talker out of the two of us, and I’m ready to spew all the words at him. I’m on the opposite side of the kitchen, leaning my butt against the counter, shooting eye bullets at Jake over the rim of my mug. His large frame makes the small round table look like it belongs in a dollhouse. The rustle of a newspaper fills the kitchen as he turns the page. I’ve always looked up to my brother. He was the only person who was a constant in my life for so many years. Then he wasn’t, and then I bailed. I held nothing against him. He did what he needed to do to survive, and I did the same. No more running. I’m exactly where I want to be. I place my mug on the counter and cross my arms over my chest.

“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner.” The top of the newspaper rustles as it falls to the table. He peers up at me with his typical blank expression. While I tend to serve my emotions on a silver platter, Jake keeps his locked up tighter than a casino vault. “But I meant what I said—I’m to blame for this too, notjust Lach. When we first met in Florida, we didn’t know each other. Then, when we did, the attraction was already there. We couldn’t fight it.”

“That’s not the point.”

I fling my arms into the air. “Then tell me what the point is.”

“He lied.”

“So did I! It wasn’t right, but we did it to protect you.”

The newspaper crinkles in Jake’s grip like a tin can. “Protect me from what? I don’t need protecting.”

“Protect you from getting hurt.”

He scoffs.

I dramatically wave my hands in front of me. “That’s right. I forgot. The big bad Jake doesn’t have feelings. Guess what? You proved that one wrong. You wouldn’t have punched your best friend if you didn’t care. But it was still no reason to punch him. You’re welcome to tone down the big brother act. We’re adults now.”

“I’ll always be your big brother, and I will always protect you.”

“Except when you bailed for over a year.” I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. Was it a low blow? Yes. I know he was dealing with his own shit, but he did abandon me when he said he wouldn’t.

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