Page 10 of Falling Too Soon
How were my brothers so different? Brandon was so levelheaded and honestly, I think he was a hopeless romantic at heart, even though he himself had yet to find love. He really rooted for me and Courtney, especially at the beginning of our relationship. Then there was Dylan, the consummate “player” who swears he’d never settle down. He never liked Courtney. Maybe he was a better judge of character than Brandon and me.
Me
Guys, look, I don’t know what’s going on with us, but the chemistry between us was off the charts. She just got out of a relationship too, so I don’t want to spook her. I want to get to know her to see if there could be something there.
Brandon
Well, I say go for it. It is batshit crazy, but you never know—this could end up like one of your books. Try not to rush things though, be her friend. I’m sure she could use one of those right now and so could you.
Dylan
How am I related to you two?
I heard the door to her room open and steps comingtoward the kitchen, where the smell of coffee was now wafting through the space.
Me
Thanks for the advice Brando and thanks for nothing, as usual, Dylan. Love you guys. I gotta go. I think she’s up.
I was smiling like an idiot as she rounded the corner and practically jumped out of her skin, clutching her hand to her chest when she saw me. “Good morning.” I smirked at her, and damn if she didn’t look adorable. Her hair was piled up on top of her head in a messy bun, and she had on an oversized hoodie with black leggings and a pair of fuzzy slippers. She still looked half asleep and clearly wasn’t expecting me to be in the kitchen.
“Shit, you’re up early. Morning,” she murmured as she gestured to the coffee. “Can I get some of that?”
“With your creamer?” I asked her as I retrieved two cups from the cupboard.
“How did you…” I poured her a steaming cup and turned to grab her creamer from the fridge.
“I saw it when I was picking up your groceries. But pumpkin spice?” I asked, genuinely curious about how people drank that crap. I guess I hadn’t noticed the flavor when I put it away last night.
“Oh, you’re gonna give me shit for liking pumpkin spice too? My bestie, Lexi, is always giving me a hard time about it,” she huffed. “I’m a basic bitch, okay? It’s not my fault that it’s the perfect fall flavor.”
I placed the cup of coffee and the creamer on the island as she took a seat. “I’m not saying anything.” I raised my hands in surrender.
Daphne took a deep breath. “So, about last night,” she started, her eyes avoiding mine, “I, um, I don’t usually do things like that. I mean, sleeping around. I just barged in here and messed up your solo trip, so I’m gonna get out of your hair this morning and go find a place to stay in town.” She nervously picked at her mug. It was cute that she was a little off-balance around me, but I had to try to make her more comfortable. I needed to figure out how to get her to stay.
“Hey, there’s no rush, and I hope you don’t think I do stuff like this all the time either. You were definitely an unexpected but very welcome surprise.” I winked.
Oh God, what was I doing?
I think she may have actually cringed at me. “Yeah, but last night was a mistake. We both came here to get over exes and clear our heads, and instead, we numbed our pain with each other. While I had a great time, I don’t think it was the best idea I’ve ever had. After I’ve had my coffee, I’ll get out of here.” She shook her head as if she was trying to get the images from last night out of there.
She was right, of course, but the fact remained that I had no regrets about getting lost in her last night. “I had a great time too, and I totally get where you’re coming from, but you don’t have to go. I know this is a strange situation, but there’s plenty of room, and I promise to be on my very best behavior—no more losing control. Maybe we can even havesome fun. Platonic fun, of course, while we try to forget about our crappy relationships.” She was staring at me as if I had lost my mind again, but she hadn’t said no yet, so I continued. “I’ll be busy writing anyway. You’ll have plenty of time to yourself, to relax, to explore the town, and then when you want some company, maybe we can share a meal or something.”
“I think it’s called a one-night stand for a reason. You don’t usually see each other a second time, let alone live with them for a week. This is weird, right? I mean, I’ll admit that last night was pretty amazing, but it was a one-time thing. I’m not trying to get involved with someone so soon.” She was making total sense, but I wasn’t having any of it.
“I couldn’t agree more, but, like you said last night, you still need to get your money back from this mix-up with the rental, and I’m happy to share the cabin while we figure it out. It’s a weird situation for sure, but we’re both adults. Surely, we can share the same space without jumping on each other again.” I chuckled. I believed not one word of what was coming out of my mouth, but if it made her stay, I’d do and say just about anything at this point. I’d even keep it in the friend zone, for now.
She sat quietly for a moment and stared into her now-empty coffee mug. I was sure she’d say no. I reached for her mug to refill it and she looked up at me. When her eyes met mine, I knew this girl could absolutely ruin me, and I was going to let her. Pulling me out of my thoughts, she said, “Okay.” I blinked. Did she just agree to stay? “I’ll stay for now, but if shit gets weird, well, any weirder, I’m outta here.”
10
DAPHNE
After that awkward chat in the kitchen this morning, Nathan went to shower and get ready for the day, so I took the opportunity to call Lexi and fill her in on everything that had happened. She, of course, was over the moon and couldn’t wait for us to have a round two. I assured her that would not be happening, but she wasn’t hearing any of it. In fact, she was convinced that this was exactly what would help me get over Marcus and all of his bullshit. I believe her exact words were something along the lines of, “You can spend the week fucking that asshole out of your system.”
Well, that wasn’t on my agenda and I was looking forward to spending the week avoiding Nathan like the plague. The man appeared way too perfect to be real, and the last thing I needed was to get attached to yet another man who would ultimately disappoint me. My heart was just starting to feel lighter after only being away fromMarcus for a few days. His type of “love” took a toll on my heart, and I didn’t need to be thinking about getting mixed up with someone new.
When I hung up with Lexi, I showered and got dressed in a thick flannel top with a pair of my favorite jeans and comfy booties, my basic bitch uniform, if you will. I was excited to go out and explore the town. This place was a fall lover’s dream, and I was determined to enjoy every single minute of my time here.
