Falling Fast

Going to the closet, I find a pair of jeans and a tee and put both on. Then I grab my socks and boots and tug them on before heading downstairs. As soon as I reach the bottom landing, I lock eyes with Gia and stride right to her. “You still drunk?” I ask, taking the kiss she offers up. She grins, which gives me her answer. “Since none of us have eaten, and all you’ve had all day is alcohol I’m going to head into town to pick up a pizza. Are you two good with that?”

“That sound good,” Gia agrees, keeping her head tipped back, so I kiss her once more, smiling when I do it.

“Can you also pick up your brother?” Nat asks, and I look at her while Gia laughs.

“Don’t laugh. It was so romantic the way he carried me out of the bar,” she says with a faraway look in her eyes.

“He carried you out of the bar because you couldn’t walk,” Gia reminds her, and Nat’s eyes focus on Gia’s and narrow.

“Don’t be a dream crusher. Maybe he’s my Prince Charming. My very own Prince Harry,” she sighs, falling back onto the couch dramatically with her hands over her heart.

Fighting back laughter, I look at Gia and find her studying her friend thoughtfully. “Don’t even think about it, Dimples.”

“What?” she asks, looking at me, and I shake my head. “Well,” she starts quietly, “if they got together, Nat would move here to be with him, and then I would really have it all. I would have you and my best friend.”

As much as I want her to have everything she wants, I can’t imagine Carson with Nat. They would constantly be at each other’s throat. Nat’s too easygoing, and Carson might come across as easygoing, but he’s uptight and stubborn as fuck, which is the exact reason he hasn’t gotten married. Not a lot of women want to deal with him—at least, not long term anyways.

“If it happens, it happens. You are not going to play matchmaker,” I tell her, and her eyes slide away. Shit, she is going to play matchmaker. “Gia.”

“I thought you were going to pick us up pizza.”

“Gia,” I warn, and her gaze comes back to me.

“Colton.”

“Gia.”

“Is this some weird mating ritual?” Nat asks, and I sigh. I like Nat, but fuck me, I can’t wait for her to leave, even if she does make my woman happy and did just get here yesterday.

“I’ll be back,” I tell them, going to the kitchen and grabbing my keys off the counter. Stopping at Gia, I drop a kiss to the top of her head, giving her a look before I take off.

I call Bob’s on the way to town, so when I get to the restaurant, the pizza is ready to go, meaning I don’t have to wait around or answer any questions. News tends to spread quickly in small towns like Ruby Falls, but bad news always spreads faster, which means everyone knows what Lisa did. As for me, I don’t want to think about that bitch. I don’t want to listen to people talk about her, and I sure as fuck don’t want Gia to have to deal with that shit either. I still cannot believe Lisa took things as far as she did. I don’t know what she was thinking, or if she was thinking at all. I do know I’m glad she’s going to be locked up for a while. I just hope she uses that time wisely and reflects on the shit show she turned her life into and turns that shit around for the better. And if she doesn’t do that, I hope she leaves town and doesn’t come back once she gets out of jail. If I never see her again, it will be too soon.

Pulling back up in front of the house with the pizza thirty minutes later, I park and get out then head inside. The minute I open the door, I shake my head when I find both Gia and Nat passed out, each with their head resting on the arms of the couch on either side, and Loki in the middle of them. Once I shut the door, I move toward the kitchen, where I drop the box on the counter. Grabbing a Coke from the fridge, I open it then take a slice from the box and lift it to my mouth. Before I can even take a bite, two sets of eyes come to me over the back of the couch.

“Were you going to eat without waking us?” Gia asks, blinking at me, and I smile at her then take a large bite. Bob’s Pizza is the best around. Even though it’s not bad cold, it’s still better hot. Watching my woman get up, I keep my eyes on her as she heads my way then smile at her as she kisses my jaw then hops up on the counter. Opening the pizza box, she pulls out her own slice, and takes a huge bite. Two seconds later, Nat joins her on the counter, grabbing her own piece.