Page 2 of Just for the Plot

Shit.

Long, golden blond hair, straight and tucked behind her ears, letting the insanely light green of her eyes take center stage, highlighted under thick, black lashes and black eyeliner. Her lips are coated in some sort of gloss, pouty and pink, while a beauty mark rests just above the right of her lip.

Jesus…

“Uh, yeah.” I clear my throat and stand, trying not to be awkward as I hold my hand out to her. “Nice to, uh, nice to meet you.”

“Ooo, the manners, good job, Gabby.” Bower smiles brightly at me. “Nice to meet you too, Bennett. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Thank you. I mean, you’re welcome…wait, no, thank you,” I say stupidly.Fucking smooth, bro.

She smirks and drops my hand just as Gabby’s alarm goes off. “Oh shoot, that’s the laundry. I have to go switch it.”

“Want me to grab it?” I ask, sticking my hands in my back pockets.

“No, I have some…well, some underwear I don’t need my little brother fondling.”

“Fondling.” My voice cracks awkwardly. “I wouldn’t…I’d never do that, Gabby.”

She chuckles. “I know, but it’s fine. I can handle it. I’ll be right back. You good staying here?” she asks Bower.

“Of course,” Bower says, waving her off, giving me a chance to take the rest of her in. She’s wearing a pair of yoga pants with a waistband that folds over her hips, keeping them low cut and showing off a few inches of her toned and tanned stomach. Her white V-neck shirt clings to her torso while the neckline dips just low enough to give me a view of her ample cleavage.

Shit, she’s so hot.

“Great, be right back.” Gabby takes off, and Bower turns to me, her eyes so freaking hypnotizing that I immediately get lost in them. Like a, uh…mossy field or something. I don’t know, I’m no poet, but if I were one, I could spend hours just staring—

“Bennett?”

“Huh?” I ask.

“I asked if we could chat for a moment before Gabby gets back?”

“Oh, uh, sure.” I lead her to the couch where we both take a seat, her sitting comfortably on one end, me having a near panic attack from the scent of her perfume swirling all around me.

“Okay, I’m glad I have a chance to speak with you, because after what happened with Gabby’s ex and her need to blow it off as nothing, I felt this very protective instinct fall over me.”

“Me too,” I say.

“I’m sure. I couldn’t imagine what you must have been feeling that day. And since she’s my bestie, I want to make sure that she’s not only taken care of, but that she’s not, well…lying about anything. I love her, but she made it seem like everything was good with her ex, when clearly it wasn’t.”

“Yeah, he was a dick.”

“Exactly. And I was thinking, she does such a wonderful job of makingsure you have everything you need and caring for you, it’s her top priority, but I don’t think she ever pauses for a moment to take care of herself. Nor does she communicate with either of us about what she needs.”

“Because she claims she doesn’t need anything.”

“I think we can both agree that’s a lie.”

I nod, because it is.

“Then, if it’s okay with you, I would be grateful if you give me your phone number so if anything comes up, or if we see anything off about Gabby, we can communicate and help her out, even when she denies the need for help.”

Wow…I can guarantee you that never in my life have I heard anyone want to take care of my sister the way that I want to take care of her. She spends countless hours working, paying for our shelter, or food, providing for us so that I can have a future. She has set aside so much of her life so I can chase my dream of becoming a professional baseball player that I’ve ingrained it in my mind that when it happens, the roles will be reversed and I’ll be the one taking care of her. But to have someone else want to do that now, want to keep her safe and protected, it hits different.

Makes me feel like this weight that’s sitting on my chest is a little less heavy.

Do I have hearts in my eyes?