“Brain tumor. It was aggressive. We didn’t know until it was too late, and then it was quick.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I thought she was the love of my life. I love her, Rhianna. And I didn’t think I could even look at another woman again the way I looked at her.”
“I can’t imagine your pain,” I say truthfully, even though those words hurt my heart just a little.
“Believing I could never want someone again got easier and easier as time passed,” he says.
My phone inconveniently picks this moment to start ringing, and we both look at it. I know that ringtone, it’s my brother. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t answer. Noah’s finally opening up to me, and I don’t want to lose the connection and the conversation we are having.
“I have to get it, it’s my brother.” Noah nods as I reach for it and place it on speaker as I reach for my dress. “Beckham, what’s up?”
“Rhi, I need you to get me. Rylee isn’t answering her phone, and the school will ring Mum next.”
“What happened?”
“I got into a fight.”
I close my eyes. “Did you win?” I ask him.
“Of course, I did. And he deserved it. The asshole pushed Paige as if she were a rag doll.” Beckham has had a crush on Paige for as long as I can remember.
“Tell the school I’m coming.”
“You don’t have a car.”
“I’ll drive you,” Noah says.
“Is that the guy?” Beckham asks upon hearing Noah’s voice.
“I’ll see you in ten.” I hang up. “You don’t have to, I can call a taxi. I do it often.”
“Let me drive you, Rhianna.”
“Thank you,” I say, reaching for my heels. “I mean it. Thank you, not just for the ride, but for sharing what you did with me.”
Beckham laughs at me as we walk out.
“You do know that’s not everyday attire, right?” he jokes, staring me up and down. When we walk out the front, Noah is standing by the car. He pushes up and walks over to us. “Oh, Mum is going to like him. He dresses in suits.” Beckham chuckles.
Noah raises an eyebrow at his words.
“Imagine that, you with someone who Mum will like. I bet his job is fancy, too.”
“Lawyer,” Noah answers, clearly amused by Beckham.
Beckham’s eyebrows raise. “See, love him.”
I shove Beckham as I shake my head at his words.
“I’m pretty loveable,” Noah says, stepping back and opening his car door.
Beckham nods. “I guess we will find out soon.” Beckham gets in and shuts the door behind him as Noah opens my door.
“Where to?” he asks as I get closer to him.
“My house, I need new clothes.” I lean in close. “And underwear,” I whisper, so Beckham can’t hear.
“Hmmm, let’s not.”
I slide in, and he shuts the door behind me and walks around the car.
“Mum’s really going to love him,” Beckham says.
And he’s right. Who would have thought I would pick someone I like so much that my mum could possibly have chosen for me if she had the chance?
“So, you and Paige a thing yet?” I ask him.
“No, we’re just friends,” Beckham quickly says. “They were picking on her because of her brother again. Because he’s trash, they think she must be, too.”
I turn away from Beckham to look at Noah. “Paige has a brother in jail. You may have heard of him. August,” I say, to which Noah looks at me with eyebrows raised.
“Yes, I have,” he responds dryly, and I smirk at him.
“Don’t let anyone influence your feelings for her, Beckham. Paige is a good kid.”
“So is her brother.”
“I doubt that,” I say, chuckling. “From what I remember and have heard, August was the ultimate bad boy. Everyone feared him, but everyone wanted to be him. It was strange.”
“You knew him?” Beckham asks.
Noah listens as he drives.
“No, not really. I think Rylee had a crush on him, though. Could you imagine that, the good girl with him? Imagine how our parents would have reacted to that.” I chuckle. “Maybe she should find someone new. Anyone at all is probably better than Anderson.”
“That, I agree on. Fucking asshole he is,” Beckham says.
I look back at him.
“What’s she not telling me?” I ask Beckham. “And what do you know that I don’t?”
Beckham looks out the window. “She covered hand marks on her wrist, but I saw them. Where do you think she got those from?”
“This is one of your jokes, right?” I ask.
No way in hell she would have kept that a secret from me.
“Why would I lie about that?” Beckham bites back, completely serious.
“Fuck.” We come to a stop out the front of my apartment. I give the keys to Beckham, who gets out of the car.
“Thanks, man. See you this weekend?”
“Sure thing.”
Beckham shuts the door, and I watch him walk up to the apartment.
“You don’t have to come.”
“I do, and I want to.” Noah reaches for my hand. “I have to get to work. But later, can I stop by?”
“Yes.” Before I can get out, he leans in and grabs the back of my neck and kisses me.
His lips press to mine, and he steals whispers of breath that I didn’t agree to give, but I happily oblige.
Every second was worth the wait for his lips to be on mine.
They feel like they’re on fire, but also being put out with the touch of his on mine.
“We can talk later,” he murmurs because his lips are still touching mine.
“Later.” I smile, pulling back.
Rylee doesn’t get here until later that day. I’ve showered and changed and am sitting on the couch watching movies with Beckham when she walks in. As soon as she does, I reach for her hand and pull her into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me as I look at her.
“Has Anderson hit you?” There is no way around asking it, so I come straight out with it. And Rylee and I, we are the same, so why she would keep something like this from me.
“Not yet,” she says, rubbing her arm. “I’m ending it after Christmas.”
“Why wait?” I ask.
“You know why,” she bites back.
Our parents.
“Stop trying to please them, Rylee. You don’t need to. You do that enough as it is.”
“We aren’t teenagers anymore, Rhi. We are getting older. There are expectations of us… marriage, kids,”
“Fuck their expectations,” I bark back at her. “Do you want me to go and break up with him for you? Give me your clothes, I will do it.” I reach for my shirt to pull it off, and Rylee just shakes her head.
“He can tell us apart, Rhi, it won’t work. But it’s fine. I’m working it out, and soon he will be gone.”
“And what if he hits you before then?” I ask.
“Then I will kick him where the sun doesn’t shine.” She gives me a grin as she turns and walks to the door, opening it.