Only One Kiss (Only One 1)

“Does that mean you are actually going to move here?” she asks me, smiling. “Not going to lie. Evan is going to be over the moon.”

“Why not?” I say. “There is nothing for me there.” I take a sip of my coffee. “I have to go back and pack up the house.”

“We can get movers that can do that,” Zara says. “Say the word, and you never have to go back there.”

I shake my head. “No. I’m going to go back and pack up the house, put it on the market, and say goodbye to Layla. Meet with my clients to tell them what is going on.” I look over and see Evan coming out, and I can tell he’s pissed. The vein in his head is bulging, and I see him charging toward us. “What has gotten into him?” I motion with my head, and Zara turns to watch him, and she must see what I see.

“Oh, fuck,” she says and smiles, getting up. “Hey there.” He just shakes his head.

“That did not go well at all,” he says, sitting down in the chair that Zara was sitting in and then pulling her down to sit on his lap.

“You didn’t say anything you are going to regret, right?” Zara says, and he looks at her.

“Oh, I said plenty of shit,” he says, looking at me. “But I don’t regret anything. Pussy ass bitch.”

“Daddy,” Zoey says. “Pussy ass bitch is a bad word, right, Mama?” she asks, and I roll my lips.

“Honey, let’s go play in the playhouse,” Zara tells her, getting up and holding out her hand for Zoey. “Listen to your brother and remember that he did it because he loves you,” she says, and I tilt my head to the side. “And if it helps in any way, just think, my brother is Matthew.”

I laugh at her and watch her walk away.

“What happened?” I ask him.

“I called Nico,” he says, and my neck starts to get hot. “Sent Ralph a message.”

“What kind of message did you send him?” I ask him, glaring at him.

“Just that the next time he went into your house, you’re calling the cops.” He folds his hands over his chest. “It’s creepy as fuck watching him walk into the house and sit on the couch for hours.”

The day after I got here, I finally opened my phone and saw all the missed calls from Ralph and that my voice mail was full. I was going to listen to the voice mails when my phone alerted me that my garage door was opened. I watched him walk into my house and sit on my couch. The pain in my chest coming out tenfold and it was like someone was stomping my chest with heavy boots. I started to dry heave, and that is how Evan found me and then picked up the phone.

“You didn’t have to do that.” I look down at my coffee cup. “He would have given up eventually.”

“Not according to the phone call I just had with him,” Evan says, and I sit up now.

“You spoke to Ralph?” I ask, and he nods his head. “What? How?”

“He sent Justin a message that he wanted to talk to me.” He grabs the arms of the chair. “Gotta say the guy has some balls.”

“I want you to stand down,” I say.

“Absolutely not. You’re my baby sister,” he says, and I roll my eyes at him. “It’s my duty. Fuck, when I got with Zara, I had Matthew and Max on my dick.” He mentions his two brothers-in-law. “I have to set rules.”

“Rules?” I look at him. “You are out of your mind. I don’t want you to do anything, please. Just, it’ll fade away.”

He laughs at me now. “I can tell you right now he’s not going away.” I look at him, and my heart speeds up. “No matter how much—” I hold up my hand.

“You need to stop.” I wipe the tear away with my thumb that is going to escape thinking about Ralph. “I’m asking you to stop.”

“Would you choose him?” he asks, and I just look at him. My head is shouting yes, and my heart is telling me that there will be no one else but him. “Answer me, Can. Would you choose him over me?”

“I choose Ari,” I say, and now I don’t even have time to wipe the tears that come blurring my vision. “I choose Ari, and I would not want to hurt her ever.”

“You are too good for him,” he says. “But if you ask me, you’re too good for anyone.” His voice goes soft. “He wants me to give you a message.”

“I don’t want to know,” I say, getting up. “I don’t want to hear. I don’t want to know. It’s over and done with.”