Page 15 of Until Waverly

I saw her by the door the minute we turned the corner entering the main dining area. She wore a pair of jeans and one of her baseball T-shirts. Her hair was pulled up under a scarf she’d taken to using now to keep baby puke out of her tresses. Her skin was a sickly pale color, and her green eyes were way too big for her face. Dread pooled in my stomach. The pounding of my heart echoed in my ears. I was going to pass the fuck out if I didn’t get ahold of myself.

I pulled my phone from my back pocket before I arrived at my sister’s side, worried I’d missed something monumental, and turned the device on. As I waited for the icon on the screen to switch to my wallpaper, I mentally kicked myself for not calling or texting in this morning before leaving.

I’d been doing that a lot lately.

Checking out mentally when I was alone.

I thought no one had noticed, but maybe they had.

Then I chuckled to myself. Maybe Ireland was going to stage an intervention about my aloofness lately. Perhaps the reason she’d looked scared out of her skin was because she didn’t realize how I’d react to her ambush. More than anything, I appreciated everything she’d done for me this past year. I understood we didn’t talk about Waverly or what was happening there or in this case, not happening, but she still took the time to check in occasionally.

My phone instantly vibrated as my strides ate up the distance between Ireland and myself. The pings of incoming text messages along with phone notifications made my head spin. I didn’t understand what was happening. Notices were stacked on top of each other, as more and more came in. I swore I was up to over a hundred, which didn’t seem possible, only there Ireland stood, her face still a mask of pure terror, and I had no idea what was going on.

“Ireland—”

The shrill ring of my phone cut through the customer chatter and noise of the restaurant as I stopped in front of my sister. The name on the phone wasn’t one I was expecting at all. It was Mack’s father. The second all of us found out Ireland was pregnant, we’d each exchanged phone numbers, keeping each other in the loop should my sister go into labor early. Mack’s crazy family had been on baby watch from the minute they found out Ireland and Mack were expecting. They even had a baby chart in their kitchen. Every month, guests or family could write what they thought Ireland was having, birthdates, weights, and sizes. The one who got the closest won the pot.

None of us were spot on. Obviously, we all said boy. But day and size. Nope. Mackinley wanted to make a grand entrance and had to be shown an eviction notice. He was born at forty-one weeks and two days.

The ringing of my phone cut through my errant thoughts as I glanced at my sister, then back down at my phone. Was I supposed to answer that? Technically, they were Ireland’s in-laws, not mine, right? I slid my finger across the screen, responding to the call while my gaze was glued to my sister’s distraught expression as she closed the distance between us and placed her icy palm on my arm. I swallowed hard, almost afraid to say a word. What if something bad happened? What if it was Macey? Worse, what if Waverly told them everything, and now I was in trouble?

Shut up, idiot. You are both consenting adults. Just because she never called you again, doesn’t mean she blabbed everything to her father and now he’s hunting you.I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Mack’s dad was protective as fuck with his kids. If Waverly told him I’d done something wrong, no matter if I knew it or not, he’d take that transgression out on my hide. “Mr. Redman?”

* * *

One year ago…

I stood at the kitchen island of our home, my phone in my hand, scrolling through the unread messages I’d left for Waverly. It’d been eight or nine weeks since we started seeing each other, though times were hard to get together because of finishing school and her being in nursing classes and having clinical rotations at the Vanderbilt Hospital.

Last night I’d texted Waverly to see if she’d be free this weekend to catch up. I’d had a stupid plan of swearing a promise to her. I even had the ring. If my brothers had any inkling what I was about to do or Ireland, all three of them would tell me to slow down. However, I recognized Waverly was the one. My only. Her birthday party had been one of the most magical and amazing nights of my life.

Hunter and Landon would call me pussy drunk, if I explained what happened when we disappeared during her party, but I’d have to disagree. When I thought about Ireland and Mack, I figured my sister might be the one who understood the best. Her and Mack had burned hot and fast, even when Mack had been a dick to her. If anything, my sister seemed to give as good as she got from her soon-to-be husband.

So, if she could find her person at such a rapid pace, couldn’t I?

Unfortunately, for me, Waverly wasn’t answering my text. Come to think of it, my brow puckered as I scrolled back further into the week. She’d stopped talking to me a week and a day ago as of this morning. Weird.

“You look like you lost your best friend,” Hunter grumbled, scratching his chest as he made his way to the coffeepot. He’d brought home another woman last night. She tried to sneak out an hour ago, but I’d seen her. “What’s on your mind?”

I shook my head shoving my phone back into my pocket before crossing to the coffee machine, taking the first cup before my brother could. “Saw your friend leave this morning.”

Hunter rolled his eyes. “Jealous?”

“Not in the least.” Though Waverly and I might not have been open about seeing each other, it was known when I left Friday afternoon, unless I was working, I’d been going to see Waverly.

“Better get ready for work, or else you’re going to be late,” Hunter said, giving me the side-eye.

“Yeah, yeah,” I replied, taking my coffee cup with me.

“Hey, Jackson,” Hunter stated, stopping me mid-stride. “If you ever want to talk—”

“I’ll go see Ireland,” I said.

“Exactly.” Hunter chuckled.

I flipped him off and headed to my room. Once inside, I sent another text to Waverly concerned, something might have happened.Text me when you can. Worried about you, sunshine.After that, I went about getting ready for my day, never giving the situation a second thought.

Three weeks later, I returned the ring and got my money back. I never told Ireland or anyone what happened or how Waverly had fallen completely off the earth. I didn’t want to interfere with her relationship with Mack since he was Waverly’s brother, nor did I want to stir up trouble where there might not be any. Obviously, the feelings I had for Waverly didn’t match hers for me. As much as it sucked to admit, losing her ached like a raw sore.

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