Two Of Hearts (Three Of A Kind #2) Read online

  Chapter 8

  Carrie

  After spending the day visiting some local wineries, Brett and I were meeting my Mom and Ben for dinner. I was hoping my mother would be on her best behavior. She seemed to have a chip on her shoulder ever since Brett had moved to California.

  “Hey guys!” I shouted, spotting them right away as we walked into the restaurant.

  I reached up and gave Ben a kiss and then my mom, while Brett shook Ben’s hand. “How are you Mrs. Wilder?” Brett asked my mom.

  “I’m good Brett and really, call me Melanie.” She smiled.

  Okay, so far so good. She was behaving for the moment.

  We took our seat and ordered our food. I was glad Ben was helping to keep up the conversation with Brett so he didn’t feel awkward.

  “So, do you like California?” Ben asked.

  “Oh man, it is awesome!”

  “Yeah, I was there once when I was younger, it is pretty nice,” Ben said.

  “I’m telling you, once you go, you don’t want to come back,” Brett said.

  “Well, unless you have someone to come back to,” my mother chimed in.

  I bit my lip, hoping she would just shut up and not add anymore commentary to the conversation. This didn’t involve her. Brett was talking to Ben, not her, so she needed to mind her business.

  “Yeah. True.” Brett said, looking over at me and smiling while squeezing my hand under the table.

  “So, Brett surprised me last night and showed up at my apartment.” My mother gave a forced smile and took a bite of her steak, building up her energy to go on the attack, no doubt.

  “So, Brett, do you think you’ll ever get transferred back to the New York office?” My mother asked.

  And. Here. We. Go.

  “I’m not really sure and to tell you the truth, I don’t know if I want to right now. I really love it out there.”

  She raised her eyebrow and glared at me. I raised mine higher….at least I felt like it was, hoping she would get the hint: Stop it now!

  “Well, how’s that gonna work between you and Carrie? You guys can’t go on forever like this.”

  Ben’s eyes shifted to mine and I gave him a pleading look to please get her under control. “Melanie, I’m sure they’ll figure that out,” he said in an effort to get her to be quiet. She took a sip of her wine, and I was hoping it would chill her out a bit.

  “Actually, I’m hoping once Carrie comes out to visit, she’ll love it as much as I do and not want to leave.”

  Damn it, Brett! You had to start her up again.

  I held my breath in dread, waiting for her reply. “Well, she would have to find a job out there first.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Not necessarily. I make enough money, if she doesn’t want to work.”

  She let out a loud laugh. “Carrie studied really hard in school to get to where she is now. She’s not going to throw away her whole education just to move out to California.” I went to kick her under the table and kicked Ben instead. Sorry, I mouthed the words to him.

  “I’m not saying for her to give up her career. All I’m saying is, she could take her time finding a job.” I could sense some irritation in Brett’s voice, and I couldn’t blame him.

  “So, Ben, Jason’s house looks great!” I said, shifting the subject while shooting my mom a few daggers when she looked in my direction. She widened her eyes, acting as if she was clueless as to what I was pissed off about. Ben and Brett began to get deep in conversation about all of the work that was done in Jason’s house, and I was finally able to breathe a little easier.

  We were just finishing up and Brett excused himself to use the men’s room. “What’s with all the dirty looks?” my mom asked.

  Was she serious? “I don’t know, Mom. What’s with the Spanish inquisition?”

  “What? Really, Carrie, these are all questions you should be asking him yourself. After all, it is your future.”

  “I know that, Mom, and I’m just trying to take this one day at a time. For now, I’d just like to enjoy the little time we have together and not stress about what’s going to happen between us in the future.”

  “Carrie, I just don’t want you –”

  Ben put his hand up to stop her from talking. “Melanie, enough. Carrie’s a smart girl, she’ll figure it out. And I’m sure if she needs your help, she’ll ask you for it.”

  “Thank you, Ben!” I said, folding my arms and shaking my head at my mother.

  I could tell it was killing her to keep her mouth shut, but she did, and instead she became overly and sickly sweet. Another defense mechanism in her arsenal when she didn’t like what was asked of her.

  I was finally feeling a little more relaxed once we left the restaurant and were on our way to meet Jason to watch a band and have some drinks.

  “I’m really sorry about my mom, Brett. She can be a little outspoken at times.”

  He let out a light chuckle. “Oh, please Carrie, she’s mild compared to my mom.”

  I had only met Brett’s mom once for a very short visit, and in that brief time I knew he was right. His family was from Texas and had a lot of money. She was so different than my mom. I could tell right away she looked down on people, and I was fairly certain her nose was turning way down at me. But since she was so far away, I figured I wouldn’t have to deal with her much and kind of brushed it off.

  “Well, thanks for being so understanding.” I parked the car and leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

  “Just remember that the next time you’re around my mom.”

  I didn’t want to tell him the mere thought of that made me feel a little sick to my stomach. So instead, I forced my best smile and extended my hand out to him.

  “Deal!”

  ***

  Jason

  Brett’s arm wrapped around Carrie was the first thing I saw when they walked through the door. I stood up from my bar stool as they approached me. “Well, look who it is!”

  Brett extended his hand and patted me on the back with his free hand. “Missed you, buddy.” He smiled.

  Brett and I were college roommates, we hit it off right away and became the best of friends. We had a lot of fun those four years with partying and girls. That all changed once I started seeing Ashley and he started dating Carrie. I will never forget his reaction the first time he had laid eyes on Carrie. To say it was love at first sight was an understatement. He never pursued chicks, they were always chasing him, but he was so different with Carrie. Maybe because she didn’t fall at his feet like most girls did, or maybe it was because she was just plain beautiful and any guy in their right mind would pursue her given the opportunity. They made a great couple and from what I gathered, he treated Carrie like a queen…so that made me happy.

  Carrie took a seat next to me while Brett stood between us. I saw Carrie looking around the bar, and I knew exactly who she was looking for.

  “Hey, where’s Ashley?” Brett finally asked the question I knew was going through Carrie’s mind.

  “Oh, she wasn’t feeling too great.” I lied. The truth of the matter was, she didn’t want to hang out with Carrie. She didn’t come right out and say it but I knew it. I didn’t put up a fight and beg her to come because I really didn’t care. She wasn’t going to put a wedge between Carrie and me this time around.

  “Aw, that sucks. I was looking forward to seeing her.” Carrie nervously cleared her throat and gave me a sympathetic smile. “What do you want to drink, babe?” Brett asked.

  “Oh, I’ll just have a Corona Light, thanks.”

  “Regular Corona for you my man?” Brett asked me.

  “You know it, man.”

  “Is everything okay?” Carrie asked as Brett went to go order the drinks.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”

  “I don’t know. You just seem kind of down tonight?”

  I let out a lighthearted chuckle. “I’m fine Dr. Carrie. I don’t need to be taking a seat on your couch ju
st yet.”

  She smiled and playfully punched me in the arm. “Well, you can’t put the title of doctor before my name yet. That comes with many more years of school. But here’s to hoping!” I knew one day she would make that a reality. Carrie was perfect at everything she did. She wasn’t afraid to set her goals and go after them and that was something I always admired about her. She glanced over at Brett who was still waiting on the bartender. “We just had dinner with my mom and your dad. Can I just say that there are days I think your dad deserves a medal for putting up with her?”

  “Why is that?” I asked with a smile.

  “Oh my god, Jason. She started grilling Brett about our current living situation. Then he had to make a comment about me going out there to live and me not having to work and then she lost it.”

  “Well, what exactly did he say?”

  “I don’t even know, I’m trying to erase it from memory. All he really meant was, if I decided to move out there then I didn’t have to rush to find a job because he’d be able to support us. You’d think she’d be happy about that! But no! Instead, she had to go on this big spiel about how I worked so hard in college….it was a nightmare.”

  The thing about Melanie was, she told it like it was whether you liked it or not and most times she was right. I totally got where she was coming from. She didn’t want Carrie to give up everything she had worked so hard at, for a guy. But Brett did have good intentions with Carrie, and it was ultimately going to be her decision to make. “She’s just looking out for you, Carrie.”

  “I know, but jeez, I’m not a baby anymore! Sometimes she makes me feel like a five year old who can’t think for themselves!”

  “That’s her job as your mom.”

  “Well, she needs to find a hobby or something.” She finally broke into a smile which made me smile in return.

  Brett returned with the beers and handed them to us. “So, is that the remnants of your dog attack?” Brett asked looking down at my arm that was just now starting to scab over.

  “Yup. It’s all good now.”

  “So what got ya….a poodle or chihuahua?”

  I shook my head and couldn’t hold back my laugh. “Fuck you, man. That dog was huge. You would’ve been crying like a little girl if it had latched onto your arm.”

  “Right…that’s what they all say.” Brett teased.

  “He’s such an ass,” I shook my head and joked to Carrie.

  “But you are both still my two favorite guys.” She smiled.

  I held my bottle up in a toast. “Here’s to hanging out with my two best friends. Next time it will be in Cali!”

  “Definitely,” Brett replied as he wrapped his arm around Carrie’s waist. “And a big thank you to you, Jas, for introducing me to the love of my life.”

  My heart hurt a little with those words, but I managed to keep the smile on my face. How could I be so happy for my two best friends and at the same time feel like a band aid was being slowly yanked off over that same happiness? “Aww…” Carrie whispered as Brett placed a kiss on the top of her head.

  “All in a day’s work.” I joked to hide my unease. The smile slowly disappeared from Carrie’s face as she looked deep into my eyes. Biting my lip, I gazed back at her, wiping the phony smile from my face as well; and at that moment I felt as if she could see everything I was hiding deep inside my heart.

  Chapter 9

  Carrie

  Brett and I spent the morning in the city. He had meetings scheduled all day tomorrow and was then heading back to California, so we were down to our last hours together before I left to go home. We were just sitting down to lunch when I heard a very familiar voice coming from behind me.

  “Brett, who is that pretty girl you’re with? She looks just like me!”

  “Gia!” I stood up and threw my arms around her like I hadn’t seen her in years.

  She gave Brett a kiss and sat down in the empty seat. “I thought you said you had rehearsals all day?”

  “I did….this morning. We wanted to surprise you.”

  “Well, this is the best surprise ever!” I squeezed her hand tightly.

  She smiled and took a piece of bread from the basket, shoving it in her mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m starving! I’ve been going non-stop all morning. And guess what? I think I may have landed a part in an off-Broadway show! Keep your fingers crossed.”

  “Gia, that is so awesome.” I shrieked.

  “Congrats!” Brett said.

  “Thanks! Maybe now I’ll be able to quit one of my three jobs.”

  I didn’t know how she did it. She was on the go twenty-four seven, and she always managed to be so upbeat. She told us all about the new guy she was dating. I listened but didn’t get too excited. I knew the next time I saw her there would be someone new. Gia got bored with the same guy and didn’t keep them around for long before moving onto the next. “I think he may be different though. I really like him.”

  “Mmm…hmm.” I shook my head and giggled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Gia, I think that’s what you said about the last three guys you dated.”

  She lowered her jaw and pretended to pout. “I did not! I can’t help it if they don’t live up to my standards.”

  I laughed again, and she threw a piece of bread at me. “Brat!” she shouted.

  “I’m sorry. You know I still love you.”

  “Well, not everyone can be as in love as you two.” She said, looking at me and Brett and sticking out her tongue.

  “We had such a great weekend.” I took Brett’s hand in mine and lifted it up to my lips.

  “Well, then that settles it, Brett. You’re gonna have to move back here and make my sister this happy all of the time.”

  He let out a loud laugh. “Or she can move to California with me.”

  The smile that was on my face instantly disappeared; I didn’t want to get on this subject again, especially if Gia’s viewpoint was going to be the same as my mom’s.

  “California would be awesome, Carrie! You should go!” How stupid of me, why would I think my rebel sister would actually agree with my mom? Brett gave a triumphant smile. “Then I would have a place to crash when I go out there to visit!” Gia laughed.

  “Okay, okay. I don’t want to get on this topic again. I had enough of this talk with Mom last night.”

  “Let me guess, she gave you all the logical reasons why you shouldn’t go?”

  “You got it!”

  Gia waved her hand in the air in a dismissing manner. “Carrie, you need to do what’s best for you.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I whispered. I needed to change the subject quickly, because the truth was, I wasn’t quite sure what was best for me. As much as I loved Brett, I wasn’t sure if I was willing to move my life across the country for him.

  “So what are you guys getting to eat?” I asked, hoping that was enough to move the conversation in a different direction. Luckily it was when both of them buried their heads into the menus.

  After lunch, I said my goodbyes to Gia. She was meeting up with her new man. I went with Brett while he checked into his hotel room and we ended up in bed.

  I rested my head on his chest after we finished making love. I wished I could spend the night, but since I had to be at work early in the morning, I knew that wasn’t possible.

  “I don’t want you to go.” He twirled my hair around his finger and kissed me on the top of my head.

  I sighed heavily. “I know….this sucks. Do you remember all the times I’d stay at your place and we’d stay up late watching horror movies?”

  He laughed. “Yeah, and I also remember how hard it was to get up and go to work after only two hours of sleep.”

  “I miss that.” I placed a gentle kiss on his chest.

  “We can still have that.” I looked up at him and creased my eyebrows. “If you move to California with me.”

  “Brett, I can’t think about that right now.”

  “Carrie, why does t
he idea of moving to California freak you out?”

  “It doesn’t freak me out. It’s just that….well, I just started my life here and –”

  “No, Carrie, you started a job here not your life….a job!” He said in annoyance. He sat up and threw his shirt over his head. “What do you think, if you move out there you won’t be able to find a job?”

  “No! I don’t know what I think. But I do know I don’t want to end this perfect weekend by getting in an argument over this. We’ve been through this before you left, Brett, and this is what we agreed on for now.”

  “No, Carrie, it’s what you agreed on! This isn’t what I want. I want you with me. But something is holding you back and don’t give me that bullshit that it’s your job!”

  I sat up and began to dress. We had been over this a hundred times before and it was exhausting. “Really, Brett? Really? And what the hell do you think it is that’s holding me back other than my job?” I was hoping maybe he could give me a little insight because if I was being totally honest with myself, he was right, there was something holding me back.

  “I don’t know, Carrie. Maybe it’s not a what that’s holding you back. Maybe it’s who.”

  I stared at him, speechless, knowing he struck a major chord and hoping it wasn’t showing all over my face. I got up and dressed quickly. “This is so not how I wanted this weekend to end,” I said as I slipped on my shoes.

  “Yeah, well neither did I.” He let out a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. I paused as I reached the door, turning around to look at him one last time before I made my exit. Every bit of me wanted to hug him and tell him that everything was going to be all right between us, but something was holding me back, and I wasn’t quite sure exactly what it was. Maybe it was because deep down inside I wasn’t sure if everything really was going to be okay, or maybe it was the same something that was keeping me from going to California and starting a new life with him.