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Chapter 69 - Jim
“Is it just me or is this really awkward?” Alyson leans in, resting her plate of appetizers on her belly.
“It’s awkward. I feel like we should leave.”
Her aunt Belinda comes over, arms extended. Alyson’s eyes widen, and she nods, putting on a fake smile. We’re at Jacob and Kara’s wedding shower, and Alyson and Jacob’s relatives are more excited about Emma’s upcoming birth and the house Alyson and I are building together than the wedding.
Kara has been giving Alyson the stink-eye all afternoon, and Alyson and I retreated to the back of the venue, trying to escape the limelight. Alyson hands me her plate and gets up to hug her aunt. She winces when she stands, making me even more glad she’s done with her job in Chicago. Emma is due in a month and the round ligament pain has gotten worse, as well as Braxton Hicks contractions. She’s been a trooper though, hardly complaining at all. I’ve b
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Further to Fall in Love Chapter 70 - Alyson
I look in the mirror, making sure my hair is okay. It’s the morning of Jacob and Kara’s wedding, and I’m not feeling the greatest. I’d say I’m nervous, but I don’t think that’s the case. I got invited back into the wedding party at the last minute, and I really do think Kara feels bad about going psychotic over the details of her wedding.I wasn’t the only one who felt her wrath, and after her sorority sister threatened to drop out, Kara changed her ways. Still, things are tense between us, and Jacob was given shit by Kara for hanging out with Jim. It bothered me, pissed me off even, and then I hit week thirty-nine and stopped caring about pretty much everything except getting this baby out of me.She’s still in there, chilling with no signs of making her debut into the world. She finally dropped a week ago and hasn’t progressed since then.“You look beautiful, babe,” Jim says, coming into t
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 1 - Alyson
I am a glutton for punishment. Ever since the tender age of fourteen, I knew there was something wrong with me. Because of all the boys in all the world, I could go and have a crush on, I fall for him.My older brother’s college roommate. The mysterious boy with a troubled past could have any girl he wants. The cute boy with dark hair and deep brown eyes who’s as smart as he is cocky, who somehow managed to both get into med school and win over a lifetime friendship from sports-loving Jacob, who only attended the same college because of a basketball scholarship.And those girls? I was never one of them. Not then, and I won’t be again now.I don’t expect to see him here tonight, but if he shows up, I won’t be surprised. Everyone is back in town for Jacob’s engagement party, and it’s inevitable we all end up at Getaway, the bar owned by my twin brothers. My heel catches on the toe of my other shoe, t
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 2 - Jim
All I see are boobs. Large. Perky. Round. They’re in my face and I’m having a hard time straightening up to look at the waitress’s eyes. Alcohol drips off her perfect tits, rollingdown onto the table and splashing into my lap.“Sorry,” the drunk asshole who bumped into her slurs, stumbling away. Jacob, who’s on his way to being just as toasted as that guy, jumps up and takes the waitress by the arm and helps her straighten up. The guy had shoved her forward and she hit the table. In a desperate attempt to save the tray full of shots she brought it closer to her body which resulted in all ten shot glasses and one strawberry margarita sliding down the tray and crashing against her ample chest.I’ve never been jealous of an inanimate object before today. She’s leaning over, alcohol streaming down the tray. A shot glass hits the table and rolls, landing on my lap.“You all right?” Jacob asks,
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 3 - Alyson
The air leaves my lungs and I’m left standing there, watching Jim walk up ahead of me. What the hell? Did I say something wrong? One minute we were talking, feeling like the old friends we should be, and the next he’s acting like he can’t get away from me fast enough.He stops at the employee door, needing me to punch in a code to unlock it. I fold the scrubs over my arm, careful not to press them against my wet dress, and take a spot next to him to enter the code. He doesn’t look at me, doesn’t say a damn thing. The tension rolls off him in waves, and as nice as our chat was a minute ago, I cannot wait to get back into the bar and away from him.That’s how Jim Jones has been since the moment I met him. Closed off. Guarded. Letting the walls inch down just enough for me to get a glimpse of the man inside only to bring them up again.A little green light flashes after I punch in the four-digit code and Jim opens the door for me
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 4 - Alyson
I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit at the kitchen table, phone in hand. Blinking, still too tired to focus on the bright screen of my phone, my finger hovers over the email icon. I have a handful of new emails, and while I can assume a few are junk, I know the others are from work.If I open it and see a problem, I won’t be able to stop thinking about it. And I already have enough on my mind.“Want some eggs, dear?” Mom turns, looking at me over her shoulder as she scrambles a skillet full of eggs.“You know the answer to that, Mom.” I open Facebook instead. The emails can wait. If something was terribly wrong, someone would have called me by now.“What about over easy?” she tries, knowing I detest eggs. “I can make you pancakes instead.” “You don’t have to, Mom, but thanks. I’ll stick to coffee for now.”“You got in late.” She raises her eyebrows and smile
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 5 - Jim
My phone rings, startling me awake. I rapidly blink, trying to get my eyes to focus. I’m disoriented, and it takes me a few seconds to realize where I am. It’s been so long since I’ve done anything but work, and on my days off I spend most of my time catching up onthe sleep I’ve missed.I feel around on the nightstand for my phone, and have a minor panic attack when I see my mom’s name. Unless it’s my birthday, I always do. And even then, my anxiety goes up every time I see her name on the caller ID.Maybe today is the day the Narcan didn’t work. Maybe today is the day they found him a little too late. “Hello?” I answer, pushing myself up onto my elbows.“Hey, Archie.” Mom’s voice is calm, but that doesn’t mean much. “How’s my favorite doctor?”I let out a breath and realize it’s going on ten o’clock. She’s not waking me up early in th
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 6 - Alyson
I cannot believe I had feelings for that asshole.A mere few hours ago, at that. Am I stupid for reading too much into last night? We talked. We bonded. We felt like friends, and for once I thought Jim looked at me like I was more thanjust Jacob’s little sister, who he puts up with solely out of loyalty to his friend.“Alyson!” Rose squeals, walking through the foyer with open arms. “Thank you again so much for helping today!”“Of course,” I tell her as she hugs me. “It was fun.”And it was, other than the ride home from the grocery store where Jim did his best to act like I wasn’t even there. I don’t get it.And they say women are complicated.“Everything looks great. The food smells amazing and those drinks are to die for!”“I had them at a party in Chicago once. They’re too complicated for me to make, but that’s why we invi
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 7 - Jim
“Well, kids, it looks like you’re going to be here for a while.” Mr. Langford hangs up the phone and goes to the window, watching the storm. “A tree fell and knocked out power lines. The road is blocked.”“How bad?” Jacob asks.“Weston said there’s been a lot of damage in town they have to get to first. He’ll keep us posted. I know Alyson and Jim need to leave soon to make it home in time. Though you shouldn’t drive in this rain anyway.”Alyson shifts in her seat, and the collar of her oversized sweatshirt falls down her shoulder. Her hair is in a messy braid, she’s not wearing any makeup, and she’s refused to look at me all morning. She’s done an impressive job of pretending I’m not here, actually. No one else has noticed her go about the kitchen, getting coffee and helping her mom make breakfast and act like it’s just her family sitting around the large island
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