The only way I could make this marriage thing work in such a short period of time was with Tucker. What in the hell was I going to do now?
Great.
Just freaking great.
LILY SET THE cup of coffee in front of me. I was on my sofa with my knees tucked under my chin and Mr. Pootie by my side. I’d gotten the silent treatment from him after coming home. His breakfast was late, and he had been pissed. He refused to eat it until he couldn’t take it any longer, probably from what he thought was starvation. Now he was settled in next to me snoring.
“Terri said she was on her way.”
I didn’t respond as I looked out the window. The letters the lawyer had given me caught my eye. I hadn’t had the strength to open and read them yet. I knew the moment I did, I’d be thrown into another fit of crying. It seemed to be my go-to reaction the last few days.
“Do you want to tell me what happened between you and my brother?”
The only person I had ever been truthful with when it came to Tucker was Lily. She knew how I felt about him and the real reason I walked away from him that morn
ing. She also knew how miserable and pathetic I was every time I saw him with a girl.
With a deep breath in, I held it for a few seconds before exhaling. “God, Lily. I’m such a bumbling mess when I’m around him, and I don’t know why. He makes me feel like I’m walking around in a damn fog. And the worst part is, I can’t stop falling whenever he’s around me.”
“Your knees?”
Looking back at her, I frowned. “I had this brilliant plan that I was going to seduce him this morning, and I tripped over his barstools.”
Her mouth fell. “What? Seduce him? Why?”
I heard the worry in her voice.
The doorbell rang, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Lily jumped up. “Stay there, I’ll get it.”
After Terri and Lily greeted each other, Terri practically skipped into the living room. She flopped down in a chair and looked at me. “So! What happened? Did y’all work out your stupid differences and bump uglies?”
“Gross! He is my brother, you know, Terri.”
With a weak smile, I looked down at Mr. Pootie sleeping soundly. If only my life was such a breeze. I shook my head and answered softly, “We kissed.”
They both gasped, and Mr. Pootie meowed.
“Oh. My. God. Tell me you didn’t ruin it, Charlie.”
My head snapped up, and I glared at Lily. “Why would you assume I ruined it?”
She shrugged. “He seemed a bit upset when I picked you up. Wouldn’t even wave back at me when I pulled up.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh no, that was because his girlfriend showed up and broke up the kiss that the cheating asshole instigated.”
Lily and Terri both looked at me with a confused look on their faces. “Tucker doesn’t have a girlfriend,” Lily stated.
“Psh. Then he doesn’t keep you very informed. Gina showed up this morning for breakfast.” Mr. Pootie stood and looked at me. Running my hand down his perfectly shaved back, I grinned. “I know, boy, you’re the only man in my life I can trust.”
He seemed pleased with this declaration of mine as he turned three times and settled back in next to me.
With her fingers rubbing her forehead, Lily responded with a sigh. “Wait. Gina is not Tucker’s girlfriend. They dated months ago and not even for that long. She was stopping by this morning to pick up some medical books she left at his house. Tucker mentioned yesterday she was stopping by after her shift.”
Terri looked at Lily and then me. “Damn. Do you have a shot of whiskey I can put in my coffee? This just got juicy.”
I snarled my lip at her and shot her a go-to-hell look. I knew I recognized her! I must have seen her with Tucker one night when we all went out. “Wait. When I asked her who she was, she told me she was his girlfriend.”