"What did she say?" Kellie asked, ignoring Noah.
"Well, that's what she said, but I can't be sure it's what she means.."
"Generally, you're supposed to accept what a woman says," Ryan said.
"I’m not forcing myself on her. Jesus Ryan. At first, she told me we couldn’t see each other because I was her boss’s son and I worked to respect that. But then I told dad, and he was okay with it. Not that he didn't have concerns, but he wasn’t going to fire her for being with his son like she was afraid of."
"So what reason is she giving now?" Andi asked.
"I don't really know. I suppose it's something like ‘that was then, this is now.’"
"Sounds like she's just not feeling it, brother," Noah said.
I vacillated on whether I should tell them the whole extent of it. I suspected Jess wouldn’t like people knowing what we did in my SUV. But maybe my brothers and Kellie and Andi could offer some other insight if they knew Jess sometimes backed off her stance about us not being together.
"If she acted indifferent or uninterested the entire time I've been around her, I would accept that. I wouldn’t like it, but I would accept it. I’d do my damnedest to let it go. But she isn't always indifferent or resistant to me." I decided to leave it there instead of going into the details of what happened in my SUV.
Andi arched bro. “Does that mean what I think it means?"
"Carter, did you fuck her?" Noah asked.
Andi hit him in the shoulder. "Why do you always have to be so crass?"
"Is he right? Did you sleep with her?" Ryan asked.
"I didn't set out to. We are in the SUV and I was trying to remind her of what had been like in Mexico, and then she was kissing me, and she was in my lap."
“What happened when you were done?" Kellie asked, her tone was such that she knew it was an insensitive question to ask, and yet if I was to get any insight into a female mind, it was a question she needed to ask.
"She couldn’t get away from me fast enough," I admitted, even though I wa
s pretty sure Noah would make some snarky comment. I looked over at him. Andi's fingers were digging into his shoulder and he was making an ouch sound as he tried to pry her fingers off of him. I appreciated her effort to keep him from being an asshole.
"I just wish she'd tell me what was going on. I think there's something she's not telling me. Why would she run so hot and cold?"
"Maybe she just needs some time," Kellie said. "You have a tendency to jump right in and go hundred and ten percent after what you want, but maybe that's overwhelming to her."
"She was a hundred and ten percent type of woman when I met her in Mexico,” I argued.
“You said it yourself that you both treated the trip as something in and of itself. You’re not on vacation now. You're in the real world." Andi said.
"You could always go with the fake wife scam. It seemed to work for old Ryan here," Noah joked.
I rolled my eyes. "I don't have a reason to need a fake wife. I don't want a fake wife. I want a real one."
Noah gaped. Ryan's brows narrowed. "What are you talking about?”
"I feel like she's the one. That's why this is so fucking maddening."
"Like I said Carter, maybe you need to take it slow. Give it time," Kellie said.
"I’m running out of time. Dad's almost all recovered and then I won't have an excuse to run into her anymore."
"You could throw yourself down a flight of stairs and then need her services," Noah said shaking his head.
Actually, there was a part of that that sounded intriguing. That thought must've shown on my face because Ryan immediately said, "It's a dumb idea, Carter, don't even think about it."
"If I needed a physical therapist, I could have her move in with me."