Page 37 of The Other Side

His feet are clothed in only white socks, but he treads down the curve of the driveway to meet me. My grin blooms when he draws closer, my hand reaching for his extended one. “It’s so nice to meet you. It’s Sean, right?”

He bobs his head as he nestles my palm in his. It’s warm and welcoming. Heartfelt, just like Brant. As if he’s granting me a warp tunnel to the last ten years of Brant’s life. I swear I can feel every adventure I missed with the boy I left in that trailer park.

I’d stay here forever if I could.

My fingers curl around him tighter, but he slips away too soon. “Yeah, that’s right,” he answers.

I purse my lips from the sudden loss, a subtle flush spreading across my skin at my supposed reputation.

“Callie Rae,” he simply states. He peels his hood off before gently nodding in disbelief. “If I had a penny for every time Brant mentioned you in the past ten years, I could put Jeff Bezos’ wealth to shame.”

I breathe out a chuckle, tossing my attention over his broad shoulder. “I love the splash of country vibes.” I wave my hand over the structure of their house, only to lock my eyes with Sean’s again. “Brant tells me your uncle owns this place. He can’t seem to rave enough about his roommate from Yorkstone.”

“Eh.” He pops a shoulder, briefly peeking behind him. “It’s on the smaller scale, but it’s just the two of us making ends meet right now.”

Faint sunlight breaks through the clouds, casting a buttery halo around Sean. I decide it suits him, having been the friend Brant deserved all these years. And maybe if I stare long enough, his crystalized hues will highlight all the stories I missed Brant write.

“I think it’s perfect,” I finally respond.

A silent pause stretches over a few beats before he cocks a smile. “Can I interest you in a coffee or something?” His eyes gently squint. “I’m a pretty shitty host, but Brant would most definitely strangle me if I didn’t offer you anything. I’m sure you know how he is.”

I nod, a smirk emerging. “Yeah, I know.”

His heart is bigger than a damn ocean.

My focus springs to the familiar cracking sound from the backyard. A series of tiny thuds follow, and my brows knit.

“Here, let me walk you to the back.”

Sean’s already steering himself to the side. I follow him across the lawn, and he unlatches the fence door to swing it open.

The yard is spacious and quiet.

“Hey, Brant!” Sean calls while leading us across the grass. “If you ever want to know about the cool, revolutionary shit that happens in my life, you’re not being told anything from now on. What the fuck, bro.”

Brant’s puzzled voice rings through. We round the rear corner of the house, the smell of fresh-cut wood mingling with the crisp air. My palms land on my zip-up hoodie, attempting to suffocate the way my belly prances at the sight of Brant.

His long legs are wrapped in Wrangler jeans. The carved muscles of his arms are hidden by the unbuttoned flannel over his tank top. His hard chest and abs leak through the white fabric, and my pulse pounds against my throat.

“Callie.” Brant peels his tan boot off the rim of the chopping block.

“Yeah, Callie,” Sean pipes up beside me. “Thanks for the heads up about your little reunion.” Brant peeks to his side to drop the axe, unbothered by Sean’s remarks. Then he walks toward us, but Sean’s already flipping him off. “No worries. I introduced myself and offered her a drink.”

“Thanks,” Brant quips with a smirk.

Sean shakes his head as he backpedals away. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Callie Rae.”

“Likewise,” I call over my shoulder.

“I promise he’s normal most days,” Brant says. “Hope he didn’t give you too much of a jump scare.”

I return my attention to Brant, my grin widening. “Not at all. He was more than welcoming.”

His almond-shaped eyes linger on me. “What’s goin’ on? You came to say hi?” There’s a craving woven in his stare.

My shoulder casually jerks. “I was at the gym. Just figured I’d swing by,” I answer, my voice vacuumed of conviction.

“Oh, yeah?” he offers, turning to relocate to the scattered chunks of wood. “What kind of workout routine do you have?”