More with You By Kaylee Ryan
To the readers who gave Anywhere With You a chance and asked for more. This is for you.
I rest my sweaty palms against my thighs, trying like hell not to let it show that I’m nervous. I look across the room and see my two best friends huddled close. Liam has a death grip on Allison’s hand. I can’t help but envy what they have; they bring out the best in one another. I have to admit, at first, I was skeptical, but now, anyone can see how much they love each other. I try to catch a glimpse of Hailey from the corner of my eye. She’s sitting with me. She says it’s so she can avoid the “love fest” that is Liam and Allison. I think, just for today, I’ll pretend that she’s really here for me. That she’s my girl. I wish! As if she can read my mind, I feel Hailey place her hand over mine. She laces our fingers together and gives my hand a tight squeeze.
“You don’t have to sit with me you know,” I tell her as I nod my head towards Allison and Liam. Inside, I’m screaming at myself to shut the f*ck up. I want her to stay right where she is.
Hailey smiles at me and I can feel my heart rate increase. “I’m good,” she says leaning her shoulder against mine as she winks.
Hailey is my best friend, Liam’s, little sister. I met her when she was a sophomore in high school. She is short compared to my six foot three, but I would say she is about five foot seven. Her long black hair hangs past her shoulders. She has a body that can bring a man to his knees, and her striking blue eyes hold me captive. Her eyes are also a reminder that she is my best friend’s little sister. Liam and Hailey share the same eyes. It’s apparently a dominant trait in the MacCoy clan.
I’ve always found her attractive, but over the past year, my attraction to her has grown tenfold. I have fought it daily and continue to struggle with how much I want her. I know that I should just go for it with Liam dating my little sister and all; it’s just awkward for me. I spent the first three years knowing her, treating her like my little sister. There was no attraction, and then one day, it’s like I finally woke up from fantasyland and I realized Hailey is all that I want. I want her, but it would ruin my relationship with Liam and Allison if things went wrong between us. Hell, I would miss Hailey’s friendship too. Over the past year, the four of us have become a tight knit group. Allison and Hailey are roommates, just like Liam and me. When Liam and Allison started dating, we all just kind of fell into a routine. This left Hailey and I to partner up in our adventures, which was both torture and bliss all at the same time.
I hear cheers erupt from the other side of the room and look up just in time to see Liam pull Allison into him, lifting her off the ground and spinning in circles. Liam shouts, “North Carolina, baby!” and I smile. The North Carolina Panthers have chosen him. I watch as my two best friends celebrate. Liam heads to the stage to accept his jersey while Allison stands on the side with tears running unchecked down her face. This has been an emotional year for her, most recently the diamond sparkling on her left hand. Liam proposed to her last night and I have never seen her happier.
I’m lost in thought when my agent, who Liam and I share, walks over and asks me how I’m doing. I smile at him and lean back, not letting on that my insides are shaking. My future is going to be determined today. I look over at Hailey and she’s smiling watching Liam and Allison in their celebration. Her fingers are still laced with mine and I squeeze her hand, silently telling her that I’m glad she’s here. She tilts her head to look at me and I lock my gaze with hers. I can’t make myself look away, and it appears that neither can she. I hear my name announced followed by the North Carolina Panthers. Holy f*cking shit! Liam and I are going to the same team. I’m up and out of my seat, bringing Hailey with me. I embrace her and my hold is so tight I’m afraid that I’m hurting her. I pull back and she’s looking at me like I just cured world hunger. She licks her lips, and without thinking, I crash my lips to hers. This is only the second time I have tasted her, and this time is just as good, if not better than the first. The first time was New Year’s Eve. We were all at our place and Hailey was sitting close to me on the couch. I meant it to be a friendly peck, just a quick sample of what it would be like if she was mine, but Hailey deepened the kiss, and I lacked the want and the will power to pull away. I did eventually pull back and tucked her into my side. I was sure that Liam was going to lecture me, but he was so wrapped up in Allison, he never did. Not that he needed to. I knew what he would say as I had just spent the last several months saying the same things to him about Allison.
Hailey and I have never talked about that night. The night that I discovered that she has the lips of an angel. I think about it all the time. Where I get the strength to not make her mine is beyond me. I can only assume that it comes from the fear of breaking up our group and losing three of the most important people in my life. So each day, I continue to hide the fact that I want her.
Reluctantly, I pull my lips from hers and drop a kiss onto her forehead. I release her from my hold and make my way to Liam and Allie and engulf them at the same time. “Panthers, man. We’re going to the same f*cking team.” I release them and strut off toward the stage to do the same hat and jersey dance Liam just completed.
I’m smiling so big I feel like my face is going to crack. This moment is surreal and my smile gets bigger, if that’s even possible, when I think that Hailey was the one next to me when I heard the news. Life is good.
As I exit the stage, everyone is waiting for me -; my parents, Mr. and Mrs. MacCoy, Liam, Allison, and Hailey. I stop to stand beside Hailey. We are so close that our shoulders are touching. I want nothing more than to hold her close to me again and taste her. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. I was lucky to sneak in our little celebration while no one was looking, but that ship has sailed. I need to remember what’s at stake. As if she can feel the tension rolling inside of me, Hailey steps closer and hugs me. The hug is over just as quickly as it began, but those few seconds helped calm me. Hailey’s arms are then replaced by Allison’s.
“You did it, Ace!” she says as I hug her tight.
“Hey, now get your paws off my fiancée,” Liam chides me. I can hear the smile in his voice. He just wanted to call her his fiancée, yet again. Damn, Allison has turned him into a sappy bastard. Never in a million years would I have ever imagined my best friend turning into Mr. Romance. They say love changes you, and Liam is a prime example of that.
After Liam and I schedule meetings first thing next week to meet with our agent for contract negotiations, we all head out to celebrate. We end up at the local steak house, and surprisingly, Liam and I are asked for our autograph before we can even make it to our table. This happened in college with younger kids and girls who were throwing themselves at us. This is different. These are grown men who love the sport who are now asking. This shit is real.
We finally break free from the crowd and make our way to the table my parents had reserved for all of us. Everyone is already seated. Mom and Dad at one end and Mr. and Mrs. MacCoy at the other. Hailey is sitting next to Mrs. MacCoy with the only empty seat being between Hailey and my mom. This is just another example of how we have been paired off over the last year. At first, it never bothered me, but the closer Hailey and I become and the more I get to know her, the harder it is for me to resist her. The fact that she looks hot as f*ck tonight, is so not helping.
Taking a deep breath, I slide into the seat next to her. This table is supposed to be a table for eight, but with four rather large guys, it’s more suited for six. This means that my thigh is resting against hers. I know it’s wrong, but I gradually scoot a little closer, just to be near her. No one at the table pays attention; they’re all wrapped up in the menu discussing what they want. Hailey on the other hand, well, she notices. Her eyes find mine in question, so I wink at her. Yep, I decide to be my normal flirty self and act as though my entire body is not on fire for her. Good plan, Emerson!
Hailey, the minx that she is, winks back and licks her lips. GAH! She can’t possibly know what that does to me, or she wouldn’t keep doing it. On second thought, yes she would. Hailey and I have very similar personalities. We both flirt, harmlessly of course, and we both like to laugh and have a good time. Just another reason why I want her.
Today has been surreal. I was able to witness my brother and his best friend accomplish their dreams as they were both drafted into the NFL. The icing on the cake is that they were both picked up by the same team. I know their dynamics on the field had a lot to do with this as well as their agent. On the field, they are always in sync. This is why they were able to lead UNC to their third championship in a row this past season. They both deserve this and I cannot be happier for them.
As I sit here at the restaurant listening to the conversations and excitement, my mind drifts to earlier and the kiss between Aiden and I. For some reason, tonight I can’t seem to get him out of my head. I’m pretty sure that it’s not just the kiss. My hormones are in overdrive having to sit so close to him all night. If we were sitting any closer, I would be on his lap. Would I mind that? Hell to the no. Aiden on the other hand, probably would. He doesn’t need me, his “friend,” cramping his style. I’ve been in love with Aiden for what seems like forever. It started out as a crush on my brother’s best friend. That crush has grown into love. Aiden is six foot three with shaggy brown hair. He has a lean yet muscular build, that of a runner. This of course works in his favor since he was just drafted as running back for NC Panthers. I have worked hard to hide my feelings for Aiden. I know a relationship would complicate things within our group. I also don’t want to lose him in my life if things were to go wrong between us. I’ve done really well with hiding it except for my slip-up before I knew that Aiden was Allison’s Ace. I told her how attracted I was to him, only to find out the next day that he is her best friend. They actually consider each other adopted siblings. At first, I wasn’t sure how to take their relationship. They both said it was a sibling love they have for one another, and once I saw the connection Allison has with Liam, there was not a doubt in my mind that is all there is between the two of them. Anyway, after my little slip, I made an extra effort to be nonchalant about my feelings for Aiden. Allison has questioned me a few times and I avoid the conversation all together. Childish, yes, but I’m too afraid to let her know. What if he never feels the same? What if he does and then changes his mind? Too many risks. Either way, I think she’s onto me.
Today was the second kiss that Aiden and I have shared, and just like the first, it left me wanting more. More than anything, I want to be that person for him. I want what Liam and Allison have, and I want it with Aiden. I know it’s a pipe dream, but it’s mine, and I’m holding it close to my heart for now.
“Hey, where are you?” Allison says as she links her arm through mine.
I break away from my thoughts and realize that she and I are the only ones left at the table. “I was just thinking of how happy I am for those two.” I motion my head towards the door where the rest of our group is standing while my dad and Mr. Emerson argue over who is paying the bill. Our families mesh so well together.
“Me too.” She is glowing with happiness. She has come a long way since her Gran died. We were all worried that we were not going to be able to pull her back to the old Allison. After our trip to Tennessee, she seemed to be coping better. Of course, a lot of that has to do with my brother and the way he dotes on her. I always told him that he was going to fall and fall hard, but damn that boy is weak when it comes to Allie. Liam is a big guy and can often be intimidating, but one look from my BFF brings him to his knees. He is constantly touching her; telling her how much he loves her. My brother is whipped. I smile because his whipped ass is making my BFF my sister, and I couldn’t have picked a better person for either of them.
As Allison and I stand up to leave, she lets out a squeal. I turn to see that my brother has snaked his arms around her and has his face buried in her neck. Like I said, whipped.
Aiden appears. “Let’s go, lovebirds,” he says as he places his hand on the small of my back and leads the way to Liam’s Pathfinder. He opens the front passenger door for me as he smiles and shakes his head. “No point in making them suffer,” he says, laughing.
I nod my head in agreement, those two are inseparable.
“So, Hales, are you staying at our place tonight or do you want me to drop you off at the dorm?” Aiden asks as he pulls out of the parking lot.
Allison doesn’t give me the opportunity to respond. “She’s coming home with us, Ace. We have more celebrating to do,” she chirps.
Aiden glances at me before focusing his attention back on the road. “You okay with that, Hales?”
My hand apparently has a mind of its own, because the next thing I know, my hand is on his thigh and I’m responding. “Yeah, sounds like a plan.” I feel Aiden shift underneath my palm and I quickly move my arm back to rest on the console. I see his jaw tighten out of the corner of my eye. He then rests his right arm on the center console as well, and loosely twines our fingers together. There is no way that Liam and Allison could tell this is happening, even if they were paying attention to us. It seems as though since New Year’s Eve, the lines have started to blur. We touch more, or maybe I just notice it more because his touch sets me on fire. Case and point, I can still feel the heat of his hand on the small of my back where he led me to the car.
Once we arrive at the condo, Allison and I head to the kitchen to gather the champagne and snacks that we hid earlier. Presumptuous of us, yes, but what can we say, we had faith in them.
“So, are we gonna talk about that kiss earlier?” Allison asks me.
“No, it was nothing. We were both caught up in the moment.” I shrug my shoulders, acting as if it was no big deal.
“Um hmm,” she winks at me.
“Charlotte is about a three hour drive with traffic. How do you think you and my brother are going to handle the distance?” I ask her, changing the subject.
“I don’t know,” she whispers while chewing on her bottom lip. “I can’t stand the thought of being away from him. I mean, I know he’ll have away games just like he did with UNC, but that was only for a few days at a time. Three hours is too far to drive each day with classes.” She takes a deep breath. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about it.”
Liam and Aiden come strolling into the kitchen. Apparently, we’re taking too long. Either that, or my brother is having Allison withdraws. “Haven’t had a chance to talk about what, baby?” he asks her as he pulls her tight against him.
The look in Allison’s eyes tells me that she’s afraid of long distance. I can understand with losing her Gran recently. We’re all she has, and I know being all alone is her fear. She is still chewing on her lip and my heart aches for her with everything that she has gone through.
“Allie and I were just talking about how long it takes to get to Charlotte from here. I asked her how you all were going to handle the distance,” I tell my brother. He is shaking his head no before I even finish.
“No distance! Allison is coming to Charlotte with me.” He turns her to face him, cupping her cheeks. “Right, baby, you’re coming with me to Charlotte? I can’t be that far away from you every damn day.” He kisses her forehead. “Not gonna happen, beautiful girl.”
I look away from the love fest and see Aiden watching me. He smiles a shy smile, almost apologizing for getting caught. “All right you two, I thought we were going to celebrate. You can do that on your own time. Hales and I don’t want to lose our dinner.” He winks at me.
We all laugh as we make our way to the living room. The rest of the night is more laughing and joking, We Talk about the NFL and their move to Charlotte. I can’t help the ping of sadness I feel that my group is leaving me. The three of them are moving to Charlotte and I’m going to be here in Chapel Hill…all alone.
I shake the thoughts away and rejoin the conversation. Allison is watching me closely, being my best friend, she knows when something is bothering me. I smile at her to let her know I’m okay.
“Well, training camp is only, what, six weeks away? I think we need to plan a trip before then. Once camp starts you two are going to be busy for the next several months,” Allison suggests. We can also celebrate Hailey’s birthday while were there.” She winks at me.
“Don’t forget you have a wedding to plan, beautiful,” Liam tells her as he pulls her on his lap.
Aiden and I both laugh out loud. It’s still hard to see this version of my brother.
“How about the beach house? Mom and dad are never there. Even if they are, the place is huge. You two,” I point to Liam and Aiden, “need to kick back and relax. Being rookies, you know they’re gonna be tough as hell on you,” I tell them.
“I’m in,” Aiden says
“Sounds good, let’s plan on leaving in two weeks. That should give us enough time to get our contracts squared away. Worst-case scenario, we have to come back for a day or two,” Liam says.
After working out the details, Liam and Allison say goodnight and venture to their room. This leaves Aiden and me alone in the living room. “Feel like watching a movie?” he asks me.
“Yeah, I’m still on an adrenaline high. I can’t believe my big brother is now a part of the NFL.” I smile at him.
“Hey, what about me?” he pouts, sticking out his bottom lip and looking adorable. Truth be told, my adrenaline rush is just as much from our kiss as it is happiness for my big brother.
“Aww, did I hurt your feelings?” I laugh as I chuck a pillow at him and stand up. “I’ll make some popcorn while you start the movie,” I say over my shoulder as I walk away.
In the kitchen, I rest my elbows on the island and place my hands on my temples. I have to get a grip on my emotions. I can’t let Aiden see how he’s affecting me. Hiding how I really feel about him is harder when it’s just the two of us. There’s no one around to buffer and distract me. Once I feel a little more composed, I pop two bags of popcorn and place them in one large bowl. I grab us both a water out of the fridge and make my way back to the living room, back to Aiden.
He’s sitting on the loveseat, wearing gym shorts and a t-shirt, and holy hell, he is HOT! As I walk closer, his eyes meet mine and he graces me with one of his sexy grins. He pats the space next to him. “I saved you a seat.” He reaches for the waters and sets them on the end table. He then takes the bowl of popcorn out of my hands and does the same thing.
I sit down beside him and curl my legs underneath me. Aiden pulls my favorite chenille throw from the back of the loveseat and places it over my legs. He then slides himself under as well, covering his lap. Without saying a word, he reaches for the bowl of popcorn and places it between us, resting half on his lap and half on mine.
Needing to focus on something other than the warmth of him next to me, I ask, “So what are we watching?”
“Remember, you said I could pick the movie. So…I went with a horror flick.” He smirks.
“So, when I wake you up from my nightmares, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself,” I chide him. I no longer care what the name of the movie is; I’ll spend at least seventy-five percent of it with my head buried in a pillow. A*shole! At least my mind will be on other things, even if it’s fear.
Aiden rests his head on my shoulder. “I’ll sleep on the couch so you’re not out here alone, or better yet, you can just sleep with me.” He lifts his head and shrugs as if the thought of us in bed together is nothing to him. Well, that’s because it’s not. He would shit if he knew the thoughts that I have been having about him.
“Just start the damn movie,” I pout. At least I hope that’s what I’m doing. I’m still trying to recover from the “you can just sleep with me” comment. What I really want to say is “To hell with the movie, take me to bed.” Yes, my mind went there.