Page 45 of Taking What's Ours
Trez lifts a brow. “Do you hear yourself right now?”
“I sound like a rambling idiot.”
“Well, you got the idiot part right.”
“Shut up. You were just as bad with Isabella.”
“I was not.”
“Want me to take a vote?” I emit a sharp whistle, and he knows I’ll do it.
“Fucking stop it. Fine, maybe I was.”
“Look, Elaina’s life is in Denver. This is just a…” I trail off; I don’t know what this is.
“A what, brother?”
“I don’t know. A time out,” I fumble for the words.
“A time out?” He nods. “Sure. If that’s what you want to call it. But let me give you a piece of advice. Make the most of it. You’re only gonna get one shot, Baja. Once she’s gone, she’s gone.”
His words sink in, but in my head, I’ve got a lot of reasons piled up that give me pause. “Trez, I’ve said it for years—I don’t want or need another long-term relationship, and the reasons for that haven’t changed.”
His face sobers. He knows everything I’ve been through. He knows the guilt and the devastation I’ve lived with for years.
Of all my brothers, only he knows how much it’s affected me.
“You’ve built that wall high, brother,” he murmurs.
Don’t I know it. I’ve had to. When I don’t answer, I feel his hand on my shoulder. I shake my head. “I don’t think I’d survive that again, Trez.”
“Nothing says it’ll happen again.”
“Can you guarantee that?” I snap. We both know he can’t. No one can.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Elaina—
The next afternoon, I’m sitting out on the deck, scrolling through social media, Rosie at my feet when Baja rolls up. He parks his bike, dismounts, and pulls his helmet off, hanging it on the handlebar, then trudges up the steps.
“You’ve been gone a while,” I say.
He unsnaps his vest. “Sorry. Club business.”
I nod.
“You hungry?” he asks.
It’s almost six, and I haven’t eaten. “Sure.”
“There’s a nice restaurant in town. I thought I’d take you.”
I look at my jeans, caramel sweater, and matching suede boots. “How nice are we talking?”
“You look great. Let me grab a quick shower, change into a clean shirt, and we’ll take the truck.”
He wanders into the house, and I dash to the apartment to brush my hair, spritz some perfume on, and slip a large pair of gold hoops in my ears. I feed Rosie, walk her, and put her in the apartment. When I come out, Baja’s waiting for me on the deck.