Falling for Fallon (Oak Hill 2)

I answered for her. “Caring, sensitive, understanding… the list can go on.”

She chuckled. “Yeah. All of those. I… I’m afraid he’s just going to leave me in the dust and…”

“And what?” I questioned.

“And get someone else pregnant to carry on his name. I don’t want to raise a baby that isn’t mine, Fallon. I don’t want this. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. This wasn’t the plan.”

Katie wiped a stray tear and sighed. “I wish I could be like you.”

I pulled back. “Like me? Why? I’m more of a pushover than you are,” I snickered.

“How so? You just have this… presence about you. Like you just don’t give a fuck—excuse my language.”

I laughed out loud, because in all the years I’d known Katie, I’d never heard her curse. Ever. “Someone pushes you and you push right back. I want to be like you.”

My body instantly felt hot because I was suddenly ashamed of myself. Katie had me all wrong. Someone pushes me… and I take it. In most aspects, that was. I would have liked to think of myself as someone who pushed back. Someone who spoke her mind and told people what she wanted. But that wasn’t me. I was marrying someone I barely knew because I couldn’t seem to push back on what my parents wanted. I just couldn’t let go. I was the biggest pushover of all.

“I think you should just be who you want to be, Katie. Fuck ‘em all.”

Katie busted up laughing. “See! I want to be you when I grow up, Fallon.”

I smiled at her and reached forward, grabbing her hand in mine. “Things will get better, Katie. I know my brother is an ass, but just try talking to him. Try telling him how you feel. Maybe he’ll surprise you.”

She smiled weakly. “Yeah… I’ll try. It’s just hard, you know?”

I was about to nod my head, but the sound of the wrought-iron gate squeaking stole my attention.

“Who’s that?” Katie asked, angling her body around mine. I turned my body, and the second my eyes found him, I snapped back around to Katie and shut my eyes. Wake up, Fallon. You’re dreaming again!

“Fallon?” I felt Katie nudge my knee with her hand, and I peeped my eyes down. If I can feel her tapping me, I’m totally not dreaming.

“How did he know where to find me?” I rushed out, scrambling to my feet.

“Who cares?” Katie answered, in awe. I looked back at her, and she moved her eyes over to mine. “I won’t say a word, Fal. Go get you some of that, but go quick, before Mallory sees him. You know very well she’ll blab to your brother… and then to your mother.”

My heart zoomed into triple speed. I nodded my head quickly and basically ran over to Emmett standing in his tight t-shirt pulled tautly over his chest. I took one second to drool and then went into action.

I grabbed his hand and swung the gate open, pulling him through, giving him no time to even muster up a grunt.

His hand felt almost forbidden in mine. It was large and rough along my small, smooth palm. We didn’t fit together, yet I was desperate to try.

“Get in here!” I yelled, pulling him through the threshold of the guesthouse and slamming the door behind us. It rattled, the curtain on the small window flying upward. As soon as the door was shut, my heartrate settled down. Well, as much as it could with Emmett standing a few feet away from me.

“Well... I have to say that I was correct in my assumptions,” Emmett mumbled, crossing his arms over his puffed-out chest, circling his gaze around the room.

“What assumptions? And what are you doing here?!” I squealed, placing my hands on my hips.

Emmett’s tongue darted out and licked his bottom lip before he answered me. My legs suddenly felt unstable and wobbly. Fallon, DO NOT PASS OUT! How many times can I say that before it actually happens again?

“Are you… like… a billionaire or something?”

I rolled my eyes, annoyance setting in.

“What are you doing here, Emmett? You cannot be here! I told you we can’t be anything!”

Emmett placed his fist over his heart. “I’m wounded. You really know how to bruise my ego, Fallon.” Then he smirked.

The apples of my cheeks lifted involuntarily. “I’m sure your ego can take a couple bruises, Emmett.”