Only Us(Only One Series)

Chapter 2

ONE MONTH LATER

ONE MONTH LATERToday"s the day I"ve been waiting for. I’m going home, and tonight, I’ll be sleeping in my childhood room. It feels surreal to leave this place for the first time in ten years.

Free from this prison.

As I pass through security and walk through the gate for the last time with my one small bag, I don"t look back. All I can focus on is my family, who’s waiting for me in the parking lot. This has been so hard on them, especially for Gemma. She visited me a lot, and we’ve stayed close over the years. I know it negatively affected my dad too, but he’s tried to be strong for us. I’ve also tried my best not to be a burden to them and kept how bad things were behind bars to myself. No need to tell them since all it would do is cause them to worry.

In the past year, Dad finally found happiness again with his new girlfriend, Belinda. She’s kept him on his toes while he’s anxiously waited for my release. He hasn’t dated since my mom died and was too focused on raising Gemma and me as a single parent.

When I see Gemma"s face break into a smile, I can"t stop my own. As soon as they’re within reach, we collide and hug each other. It’s a moment I’ve thought about for months—years even—and it’s finally here. It almost doesn’t feel real.

Gemma bursts into tears as my dad swallows down his emotions. I don’t even bother to hide mine.

“I can finally hug you,” she whispers, sniffling and rubbing her eyes. “You’ve beefed up.”

I chuckle and shrug, releasing them. “You too,” I tease, glancing at her little baby bump.

“Ha-ha.” She rolls her eyes.

“You look good, son.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

I smile at Belinda, who gives me a kiss on the cheek, then I spot Tyler behind them and hug him next.

“Good to see you, man.” He squeezes me tighter.

I wipe off my cheeks. “You too. I was just about to say you have no idea, but…” We both chuckle.

Gemma married Tyler not too long ago, and they"ve visited me every month for the past year. Tyler"s also an ex-con, but he spent five years in prison for something he didn’t do. However, I’ll be relying on him for support to get through these first few months of reintegrating into society. Not sure if my hometown will be very forgiving or accepting of me since Gabe’s family’s still there. From what Gemma’s told me, no one’s forgotten that night. I sure as hell haven’t.

Given what I did and how it affected everyone, I’m preparing for the worst. Even though my sister and Tyler have reassured me everything will be fine, and they’ll help me find my new normal, I’m anxious about it. Since Tyler has hired me to do the construction at the gym he"s remodeling, I already have something to keep me busy. It’s only a temporary position, but at least it"s something, and I"m grateful for it. I hope to have another job lined up by the time I finish this one.

I honestly can"t wait to go to work, be around people, and find my footing again. Even though I don’t know what people’s reactions will be when they run into me, there"s one person in particular who probably never wants to see me again—Katie.

Katie“Well, let’s get out of here and get ya settled at the house,” Dad says, beaming wide.

“And eat,” Gemma adds. “Belinda made her famous fried chicken, and we bought pie.”

“I can’t wait. But before we go home, I need to make a stop,” I say, looking at Tyler.

“Sure, wherever you wanna go,” he tells me as we pile into the SUV. “Just tell me where.”

I fidget a little, knowing my sister is about to rip me a new one. “I don’t actually know the address, but I’m sure you do.”

Tyler looks at me through the rearview mirror, and there’s a mutual understanding.

“Wait, where?” Gemma asks, looking over her shoulder at me.

Tyler starts the engine and drives out of the parking lot as my sister continues to stare at me.

“Katie’s,” I finally answer. “I need to see her before we go home.”

“Noah!” Gemma scolds. “No. She specifically said she didn’t want to see you, and I’m not gonna be the one who forces her.”

“You aren’t,” I argue, standing firm in my decision. “Tyler’s drivin’.”

Tyler snorts. “Babe, just let him.” He tries to calm her. “What’s the worst that can happen? She slams the door in his face?”

“Exactly!” Gemma shouts. “And never talks to me again.”

me“Maybe she won’t,” I counter, though I know better. Those two are tied to the hip. “I just want to see her. Please. It’s been so long,” I plead softly, hoping she’ll take pity on me.

“Alright, fine. But if she pushes you off the porch or slaps you, don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

Katie Walker had been my best friend growing up. She was Gemma"s friend and always over at the house, and we formed a friendship from there.

Even though I wanted more, I was too afraid of rejection and worried we’d ruin our friendship if it didn’t work out. It was more important to have her in my life, so I kept quiet and just enjoyed the time we spent together.

Since I was a coward and too young to truly understand my feelings for her, I didn"t say a goddamn thing when Gabe asked her out. In fact, I"m pretty sure I encouraged it. The last thing I wanted to be seen as was the envious best friend or the jealous guy secretly in love with her. I really didn"t expect their relationship to last, considering his reputation. Gabe was never the serious type of guy, at least by all the hookup stories he’d text me.

When we were twenty, he proposed, and Katie said yes. It didn’t sink in until I saw her baby bump a year after they got married that she’d forever be tied to Gabe.

And I would never have anything more than friendship with her. It was my own fault for never speaking up, and I’ll never know if she felt the same. Sometimes, I thought maybe she did, but when she never said anything either, I pushed it to the back of my mind.

So life went on like that until the night Gabe died.

I felt so damn ashamed I couldn’t stand to let her see me in prison. Even when she wrote and pleaded to let her come visit, I never wrote back.

And according to my sister, Katie hates me for it.

I don’t blame her one bit, but I’d like the chance to at least explain. I know I don’t deserve a second of her time, but I’ve learned a valuable lesson—life is too damn short.

An hour later, Tyler pulls into the driveway of an old beat-up farmhouse that I’m shocked is still standing.

“This is where she lives?” I ask, surprised.

“It needs a little TLC.” Tyler chuckles. “She’s planning to fix it up.”

Fix it up? At this rate, it’d be faster to demolish the whole thing and build it back from scratch.

Fix it up?“She hasn’t moved in yet, but she comes here every evening and weekend to work on it,” Gemma explains.

Inhaling a sharp breath, I grab the door handle. “Okay, wish me luck. Here goes nothin’.” I push open the door and step out. My heart races as I walk up onto the porch to the front door.

Nervously, I knock on the cracked wood, then wait as a million thoughts run through my mind.

Has time been good to her?

Has time been good to her?Does Owen look like Gabe?

Does Owen look like Gabe?Will she forgive me?

Will she forgive me?I hear footsteps, and when the door opens, I nearly lose my breath when I see Katie for the first time in a decade.

She’s even more stunning than I remembered. Her blond hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail, and dust and dry paint cover her shirt.

“Ka—”

Before I can even finish saying her name, she steps back and slams the door in my face.

I deserved that.

My head and heart drop.

When I get back to the SUV, everyone gives me the most pitiful looks.

“Yeah, she hates me.”

Tyler turns and looks at me. “Give her time.”

I scrunch my nose. “More time? How much more time should I give her?”

More“Give her space,” Gemma clarifies as Tyler backs out of the driveway. “She’ll come around.”

I blow out a frustrated breath. f**k, I hope so.

“Or here’s an idea…” Tyler begins. “She needs help on the new house, and Noah just so happens to be pretty good at fixing shit.”

I scoff. “Katie will never hire me.”

“She works during the day. She can’t say no if she doesn’t know…” Tyler grins at me through the mirror.

“Noooo…” Gemma shakes her head. “She’ll kill you for sure.”

“Actually, that’s not a horrible idea,” Dad blurts out.

“She might think it’s romantic,” Belinda adds.

I chuckle at their encouragement.

Gemma shakes her head. “Absolutely not. She wants to do it all herself.”

“Well, if she won’t give me a chance to talk, then I’ll show her how sorry I am instead,” I decide and shrug. “Start fixin’ things little by little until she notices. She won’t be able to slam the door when I’m already inside the house.”

“This is seriously a bad idea. How are you guys agreeing with this?” Gemma glances around, furrowing her brows at our dad and Belinda.

“I’ve pushed her away long enough, Gem. Let me do this,” I beg. “I have to win her friendship back.”

“Alright, on one condition…” Gemma’s shoulders slump as she blows out a breath. “She must never know I knew about this plan. Got it?”

I smile victoriously. “Deal.”

Gemma rolls her eyes, then repositions herself in her seat. Though I know it’s a crazy plan, it feels good to have my family’s support. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to Katie how sorry I am and that I’m no longer pushing her away.

Katie’s new house is on the same street as my dad’s, which is quite convenient. She probably hates that I’m so close now, but she better get used to it because I’m not going anywhere this time.

“I can’t wait to show you your bedroom,” Gemma squeals as we make our way inside.

“Why?” I snort, carrying my bag. “It probably looks the same.”

“Hey.” She smacks my arm. “I spruced it up for ya.”

“Of course, you did.” I smile, following her upstairs.

“Any chance you upgraded my old nineteen-inch TV to a fifty-inch?” I tease as she opens the door.

“As a matter of fact…”

My gaze wanders around, and I notice everything looks the same except for the new flat-screen TV sitting on my dresser. “s**t, really?” I give her a hug. “You’re my favorite sister.”

favoriteShe rolls her eyes with a grin. “I even washed all your old clothes and put a couple of new things in the closet. Figured that’d get you through until you had time to go shopping yourself.”

“You’re seriously the best, thank you.”

Gemma smiles. “You’re welcome. I’m so happy you’re home, and you’ll be here to meet the baby.” She pats her stomach.

“Me too. Gonna spoil that kid rotten.”

“You and Tyler both.”

“Damn straight.” Tyler walks up behind Gemma and wraps his arms around her waist.

“Gemma, Noah. Come down,” Dad calls from the living room.

When we enter, Dad hands me a set of keys. “These are for you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing fancy, but it’ll get you around town. Let’s go check it out.”

We walk out to the garage, and I see a blue F-150 single cab. “I fixed it up as best as I could. Should last ya until you can buy a newer one.”

I hope Dad hasn’t been spending his spare time on this, considering he retired recently. He was the best mechanic in this part of Alabama, and though I’m sure he’ll miss parts of it, I can already tell he’s enjoying his free time.

I steal a quick hug and grin. “Thanks, old man. It’s great.”

“Wanna go for a quick drive?”

I hesitate, not sure if that’s a good idea. I haven’t renewed my license yet, and a ticket is the last thing I need. He climbs behind the wheel, almost as if he read my mind, and waits for my answer. I can’t deny my dad for wanting to spend some alone time with me.

“Okay, just a quick trip,” I agree and climb into the passenger side.

“I’ll give you the updated Lawton Ridge tour.” He smirks.

Soon, we’re on Main Street, and he’s giving me all the details about the new shops.

“That’s Everleigh’s boutique.” He points at a corner shop with the words “Ever After” on a sign. “You remember her? Gemma and Katie’s friend.”

“Yeah, isn’t she Tyler’s little sister?”

“Yep. Last I heard, she’s single.”

I snort, shaking my head. “Slow down. I’m not diving into the dating scene right away.” Or ever. No one around here is going to want to date an ex-con.

“I know what you’re thinkin’, but get it outta your head,” my dad scolds. “You have a lot to offer, and any woman would be lucky to be with you.”

I stay silent because while I know he’s being genuine, I don’t believe the words. People around here are judgmental as hell, and even though plenty of them have had their own share of scandals—typical small-town drama like affairs and tax fraud—they don’t hesitate to ridicule others.

Swiftly, I change the subject as we make our way back home. Lawton Ridge looks the same with just a few different businesses.

“Just in time, boys,” Belinda says as we walk inside the house. “Lunch is ready.”

“Great, I’m starving.” I take a deep breath in. “That chicken smells delicious.”

“Your dad said you loved it, so I made it just for you.” Belinda smiles sweetly.

“Don’t let this one go, Pops,” I taunt as I take a seat next to Tyler.

My dad wraps his arm around her and plants a kiss on her cheek. “Never in a million years.”

As we sit and eat, things almost feel normal, but then again, they don’t. I’m used to sitting on hard benches or stools and scarfing down my food without really tasting it. If you hesitated, someone would steal it. It was almost always cold and bland, but I needed to get something in my stomach to keep my strength. Not long after I arrived at the facility, some of the prisoners found out what I’d done. Some taunted me about it, some were legit scared I’d kill them with my fists, but others—the ones who were lifers—didn’t give two shits. They started fights just to entertain themselves.

I only talked to my cellmate and a couple of younger guys who came in at eighteen years old. They looked like me when I first arrived—terrified as hell. I wasn’t a killer and had only gotten into a handful of fights my whole life, but I had to put on an act just to protect myself. That’s all behind me now, though, and today’s the beginning of a fresh start.

Being thirty-two years old and starting completely over in my childhood home is an odd feeling, but I’m not taking this second chance for granted. Instead, I’m giving all my energy to rebuilding the life I almost missed out on, and I hope like hell Katie will allow me to be in hers.