Soaring with Fallon (Big Sky 4)

“I say we eat cake,” Fallon says, earning cheers of joy from everyone.

She cuts her cake, and I hang back, watching with a happy smile. She’s having the time of her life, and I love that something so simple brings her so much joy. I’m also a little sad for the young girl who didn’t have big parties to celebrate her birth.

Although I’m sure she would laugh and tell me to not think twice about it, I want to spend the rest of my life bringing this smile to her face. I want her to always feel special.

“This party was a hit,” Claire says as she sits next to me, holding a piece of cake for me, and one for herself.

“I’m glad,” I reply and take a bite of the white cake with strawberry filling. “How are you doing?”

“I’m having fun,” she says with a smile. “I like seeing her happy.”

“Me, too.”

Maybe I’ve judged Claire too harshly. She’s Fallon’s friend, and she’s looking out for her.

“What are you thinking?” She takes a bite of cake and watches me as she chews.

“About?”

“About Fallon.” She rolls her eyes. “Like, what are your intentions?”

“Interesting turn of conversation,” I mutter.

“Like I said yesterday, she doesn’t have anyone else to look out for her, not like they should. So, I’m asking.”

“I love her,” I reply. “And I plan to make her happy for the rest of her life.”

Claire looks over at Fallon, then sighs and pushes her half-eaten cake away.

“I was worried that this was the case.” She wipes her mouth with her napkin. “Noah, Fallon won’t be here forever. She doesn’t stay anywhere for the long-term. It’s just who she is.”

I narrow my eyes at her, but let her speak. She’s voicing every concern I’ve had when it comes to Fallon. I know she’s moved around, but I also know the conversations we’ve had since we’ve been together.

Claire doesn’t know shit.

“Fallon isn’t the type to get married and have two-point-four kids with the dog and the picket fence.” She shakes her head as if she’s sorry to be the one to deliver the bad news. “She’s never wanted kids, Noah. Not ever. She said she’d never let that happen. And settling down? Not likely.”

“You’ve spent one day with her in six years, and you think you can say all of this with certainty?” I ask.

“We may not see each other often, but we talk all the time. She’s my best friend. I know her, and I’m just telling you this so you don’t get your heart broken.”

I was right about Claire, after all. It sure sounds like she’s trying to single-handedly sabotage my relationship with the woman I love.

“What are you talking about?”

Both of us turn at Fallon’s voice. She scowls at Claire, her gaze bouncing back and forth between us.

“Claire’s just filling me in on the facts about you,” I inform her calmly. I want to scoop her up, but I’m curious to see how she’ll handle this. “That you’ll be moving on soon and wouldn’t ever be interested in settling down.”

Fallon narrows her eyes at her friend. “Is that so?”

“Hey, I’m just telling him what I know about you,” Claire says with a shrug. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Interesting,” Fallon says, tapping her chin with her finger. “So you think you can just speak for me?”

“It’s nothing you haven’t said to me before.”

“Years ago, and before I met Noah,” Fallon says. “You don’t speak for me, Claire. Not ever. And you…”

She turns to me, and I raise a brow.

“You and I need to step outside.”

“My pleasure.” I stand, and Fallon leads me down the stairs and out the front door. When we reach the sidewalk, Fallon rounds on me, her green eyes bright with anger.

“Did you buy that bullshit? Because that’s what it is. Bullshit. I don’t know what’s up Claire’s ass, but she doesn’t have the right to say those things to you.”

“She’s not wrong,” I remind her, tucking my hands into my pockets so I don’t reach out for her. I need to hear what she has to say. “You do move on. And that’s not conducive to a long-term relationship. She’s your best friend. She should know you well enough to be able to—”

“Claire is not my best friend,” she interrupts, pointing her finger toward Claire up in the restaurant and then down to me. “You are. You’re my best friend, goddamn it. I told you, I don’t let people get that close to me. Not until you. You’re the one who knows me better than anyone else, and you’re the one who should have told Claire to fuck off when she tried to ruin our relationship.”

“I was about to,” I reply and smile when Fallon stops short, blinking rapidly as she absorbs my words.

“What?”

“I was about to, and then you arrived. I know it’s bullshit, Fal. Claire doesn’t know dick about our relationship or how we feel about each other. She’s been here for twenty-four hours.”