Love Unexpected (Navy Love Series Book 2) (12 page)

“Whether you want to admit it or not, you are her Prince Charming—” I start to argue again, but am silenced with his hand in the air. “Don’t even, I don’t want to hear the excuses. Reed may not be the Prince Charming she wants, but Charlie is. And like it or not, both of those men are a part of you, Reed. You just need to find out how to balance the two, and become the man you’re capable of being for her.”

He walks over and pulls me up off the couch by my hand. “Now, I’m exhausted, and I’m not driving home. So take your ass to bed, I’m crashing on your couch.”

I stand there dumbfounded for a couple seconds before I finally go to bed, Marshall just put me in my fucking place.

The night is spent tossing and turning, thinking over what Marsh said.

Is he right? Is Charlie her Prince Charming?

I wake up feeling as though I have a horrible hangover. I know it’s not due to the amount of alcohol I consumed but rather the long night of restless sleep I got.

Walking into the kitchen, I glance around and notice no signs of Marshall. Checking the clock, I see that it’s after 10:00 AM; he’s already dipped out. I know he hits the gym before work every morning. I stand by the bar slowly waking up as I sip my black coffee.

It isn’t until halfway through my first cup that I catch sight of a small piece of paper with some scribbles on it. Picking it up to examine it better, I’m met with Marshall’s handwriting.

I toss the note back down and steal a quick glance at the clock. 10:32 AM.

There’s no way I’m going to her work; Marshall has lost his mind. Even though I’m telling myself that, I still jump quickly into the shower and afterward dress in a Henley t-shirt and jeans and style my hair.

Going to see her will only allow for more distance to come between my friends, who’ve become my family, and myself. I know this, but that doesn’t stop me from climbing on my Harley and steering it in the general direction of the very place I know I should be avoiding, the tiny coffee shop Tegan works at.

I take the long way around town, it normally only takes ten minutes to get there from my place, but today my route takes twenty instead. Enough time to picture what Tegan is wearing today, how her hair is styled, if she’s having an easy or tough day. Enough time to question exactly what the fuck I’m going to say to her, and enough time to change my mind about doing this shit at least ten times.

It isn’t until I pull up and park that where I’m at and what I’m doing sinks in.

I honestly have no idea why I’m here. I was an asshole when I saw her last night, an asshole with the way I treated her at the wedding, and she probably doesn't want to speak to me at all.

I’m just being a good friend, checking on her since I was the reason she cried last night.

That’s the lie I tell myself as I climb off my bike and walk into the shop.

I walk in and can’t help the disappointment that sets inside me when I don’t see her behind the counter. I refuse to ask the girl working where Tegan is right now. Already knowing she’s here thanks to Marsh, I assume she must be in the backroom.

I collect my black house coffee from the flirty barista and take a seat where I have a clear, unrestricted sight of the backroom door.

I reminisce over the short time that Tegan and I were sleeping together before it all came to a screeching halt—the day I found out Tessa was coming home early from her deployment due to being pregnant. It actually came at the perfect time too. Although nothing was ever said, I could tell Tegan was getting emotionally attached, trying to make our little arrangement into something more than it was. What I didn’t realize was that I was so caught up in how she was treating our relationship, that I didn’t notice I suddenly became comfortable with it becoming more myself.

The epiphany hits me like a Mack truck, the thought of high-tailing it out of the small shop crosses my mind. Before I’m able to process any of it, the backroom door swings open and I lock eyes with Tegan from across the small shop.

Tegan

I woke up this morning feeling horrible, mentally and physically. I drank enough last night to give myself a hangover and add in my emotional breakdown in one of my favorite bars, in front of the last person I want to see me emotional, just adds more fuel to that already blazing fire of self-pity.

All I wanted to do was stay in bed all day but duty called. Duty in the sense of overpriced coffees and superficial college girls who
need
their nonfat, soy lattes.

The small shop I work at is about ten minutes from campus and my apartment. It’s really nice during the warmer months when I can walk or bike from school to work and home. Now, though, it’s cold enough that I decide driving is the best option today.

Luckily for me, my boss wanted us girls to take turns working the counter today while the others cleaned and pushed stock out to the front.

I’ve spent most of my five-hour shift in the back. Seeing my puffy eyes when I walked in was enough for everyone to volunteer to take my time up front.

Of course, my first time going to the front, I push through the door and see none other than Reed sitting in the shop, and immediately I know today will be just as shitty as last night was.

I place the boxes of supplies I’m carrying down on the counter, keeping my back toward him. Maybe if I ignore him he’ll leave.

After ten minutes of me slowly stocking the cabinets, the bell over the door chimes, signaling someone entering or exiting the shop. I continue the impeccably-slow feat of clearing out two boxes then chance a peek over my right shoulder, checking to see if Reed was the patron who chimed the bell on his exit.

However, the shitty smirk I see from said patron tells me that not only did he not leave, but he also caught me sneaking a peek at him. I quickly head back into the stockroom, praying that the next thirty minutes will pass by quickly.

With only five minutes of my shift left, I finally reappear up front. There are four people waiting for their orders to be taken, and I almost feel sorry for Megan, the only coworker who doesn’t care for me, but she’s left me up front alone on busy days plenty of times. With a quick goodbye, I scramble to the front door, desperately trying to avoid Reed.

I keep my head down, engaged in sending a text and I’m thankful when the door is opened for me. However, the moment I look up to thank the kind person, I’m once again met with that shitty smirk.

I swear that thing makes me want to smack him and kiss him at the same time.

“Thanks,” I say shyly as I pass him. I don’t know why I expect that to be the end of our conversation, but judging by him following me out, I guess he didn’t just come in for the coffee today.

He stalks behind me all the way to my car, no words spoken. I’m mentally freaking out.
Is he here to give me a piece of his mind now that I did it to him last night?
He, I can only assume, is behind me silently brewing, waiting for his moment to unleash exactly how he feels about me.

Finally making it to my car, I try to avoid him again and begin carelessly throwing all of my crap in the backseat.

“Tegan.”

I continue ignoring him.

“Tegan. For fuck’s sake, will you at least talk to me?”

“Reed, I have somewhere to be, so can we reschedule this argument for another time?” I pull my phone out of my pocket to see that I’m running late. “I really have to go.”

For once, I’m not making it up; I have a study group at 4:00pm with Matthew and a few other friends.

“So you avoided me the entire time I sat at your work, and now you’re just going to leave when I want to talk?”

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly as I climb into the driver’s seat.

I put the car in drive and watch as he stands there while I pull away. I don’t know whether I’m happy I have somewhere to be or sad that I just passed up an opportunity to talk to Reed alone.

I pull up at the campus library, my thoughts still jumbled from that little run-in with Reed. I know I need to clear it all from my mind. Matthew is going to kill me if I’m distracted for another study session.

He’s sitting on the library steps with a transfer student, Raegan, waiting for me. Although Matthew hasn’t come out and said it yet, I think he has a little thing for Raegan. I’m going to have to talk with him about that, see what he’s waiting on. It’s obvious the two of them like each other.

Without asking, I know Liam, Caleb, and Meredith are already inside. We meet here twice a week: once during the week and every Sunday. I met Meredith and Matthew in my microbiology lab and through them was introduced to Liam and Caleb. Matthew is somewhat like a mentor to Reagan. He’s supposed to help her with any issues she may have. From what I can see, he takes this task very seriously.

Two hours later, with persistent pushing from Caleb, Liam, and Meredith, I finally call it quits on studying. I highly doubt I’ve absorbed anything we went over, because my mind was elsewhere the entire time; like wondering what Reed would have said had I listened to him.

We exit the building and say goodbyes to Meredith and Liam since they are on their way out to dinner and a movie.

I can’t help but to be jealous of their relationship. They seem to be best friends as well as lovers. There’s no hostility, no sneaking around with them. Everyone accepts their relationship, while I, on the other hand, seem to find the one person my sister doesn’t want me to date.

After my objections, Caleb insists on walking me to my car. While I appreciate it, I could do without his flirting. We’ve been through this before. Caleb has made it very clear he’d like more between us, but I’m determined that it will not happen.

As we approach my car, I see a tall, slender figure leaning against my passenger door staring holes into Caleb’s arm that is now around my shoulder.

“Hey, man, you mind not leaning against my girl’s car?” Caleb calls out as we get close enough that I’m able to make out his features. Tanned skin, tattooed arms, and stormy, green eyes. His arms are crossed over his toned chest, the ankles of his muscled legs crossed.

“Excuse me?” His tone is almost sinister.

By this point, I’m standing directly in front of Charlie Reed. With Caleb’s arm still around my shoulder.