Follow the River

Taylor smiles that smile he always got when he would talk about baseball or gaming or whatever else held the source of his passion. And he looks down at her before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and squeezing it, fire lighting up his eyes.

And it’s in that moment I know my best friend is in love with whoever this woman is standing next to him.

“River, this is—”

“Siena?” Rain’s voice asks from behind me. I glance over my shoulder to see him standing with two mugs of something steamy, probably spiked knowing him, and a look of complete confusion on his face.

“Rain?” the girl, apparently Siena, shrieks as she slips from Taylor’s grasp to head over to my man.

Wait—fuck. Not my man.

Although I’m not above pissing on him. Staking my claim. Letting whoever the fuck this girl is know he’s mine.

Rain sets the two mugs on a side table quickly before Siena basically jumps into his arms, wrapping her entire body around him like a damn spider monkey.

Now, I wouldn’t necessarily care about that. While I’m possessive of the things I deem as mine, I don’t get jealous.

And believe me, there’s a fucking difference.

Jealousy is wanting what someone else has. She doesn’t have Rain. Okay, maybe she has him in her literal hold but not in the way that counts. But possessiveness comes with making sure everyone around you doesn’t let their jealousy try to take what’s yours.

Marking your territory, so to speak. Letting the world know not to fuck with it.

But he isn’t yours, my asshole brain likes to remind me.

I watch them as he spins her around in a circle, her legs locked around his waist, a giant smile on his face while he hugs her to him with an insane amount of comfort and familiarity.

And I see fuckin’ red.

“Is that Ciaráin Grady, the wide receiver who almost won the Heisman twice?” Taylor asks, his brows furrowed as he watches Rain set Siena on the ground, her hands moving animatedly as she talks a mile a minute. Rain’s still got that fucking smile on his face and fuck me, that smile is mine.

And then…she says something that makes him laugh and I just about lose my shit entirely.

“That’d be him,” I grind, keeping my temper in check. “He was my new wide receiver this season. Damn good player, so he deserves the Heisman hype.”

Taylor turns to me, removing his stare from Siena for the first time for more than five seconds since he called my name. “Is he the one Dad sent you up here with?”

Meeting his questioning gaze, I nod in response before returning my attention back to the two of them across the room. I feel Taylor’s eyes on me while I watch them, my jaw ticked so hard it starts to ache.

“I really hope you’re not staring at them because of my girl,” Taylor laughs, but it lacks humor.

His girl.

Okay, well that makes it better I guess. Taylor has a great sense about people, so I can’t see him getting in with someone who would be willing to drop him for a more semi-famous college athlete.

“No, I’m too busy trying not to become a jealous fucking prick because your girl has somehow managed to get a smile and a goddamn laugh, both of which I have to work really fucking hard to get, from my man.”

Taylor grabs my chin and turns my face towards his again. “Grady is into dudes? And wait, I thought Dad sent you up here because you and him were fighting? Brawling on the field during a game and shit?”

I sigh. “We fought, yeah. It was fucking bad. That’s why we’re here.”

He raises a brow as his eyes search mine, trying to get a better read on the situation. That’s what Taylor does, I learned early on. He has this unca

Biting my lip briefly, I let out a sharp exhale. “No, we’re not dating.”

“Then what, just fucking? Because Riv, the way he’s looking at me right now...” he laughs, shaking his head before releasing his grip from my chin. “Hell, he looks ready to commit murder for my hands being on you.”

I allow my gaze to travel over to Rain and Siena to find them engrossed in conversation, but even as Rain’s mouth is moving and smiling at Siena, his eyes are latched on me and Taylor.

And indeed, there is a fire in his eyes most people who aren’t as receptive as Taylor wouldn’t catch. I’m not even sure Siena can see it and she is standing right in front of him.

His attention darts between the two of us and I catch the subtle lift of his brow before his eyes harden on Taylor and then back to me.

The question in his eyes is clear.

Have you fucked him?

And shit, it might be toxic as hell to feel as happy as I do by that. Because…I fucking get it. I felt it when I just watched him with Siena. Or when I saw the hickey on his neck that night in Portland.

Seems jealousy and possessiveness aren’t one sided with us like I thought it might be, regardless of how unhealthy it is.

My eyes stay locked on Rain while I respond to Taylor. “It’s the best sex of my life, T. Mind altering. And all it’s supposed to be is sex.” I flash my eyes to Taylor. “But something changed in such a short amount of time and now it’s become…complicated.”

Understatement of my fucking life.

Taylor nods. “Sex always has a way of fucking shit up. I get it man, I do.”

I let out a sigh, thankful as hell that my best friend never ceases to put me at ease, even if it’s just by confirming something I already know to be true.

“Taylor!” Siena shouts, a huge smile on her face as she waves us over to where she and Rain are standing.

When Taylor immediately starts walking over, I cough, “whipped” under my breath, which earns me a shit eating grin and two middle fingers from my best friend. Following him to where they stand, I smile at Siena.

“Siena, right? I think our introduction was cut a little short. I’m River,” I tell her, sticking out my hand. My eyes flash up to Rain’s when she slides her palm into mine for a brief shake.

“So nice to meet you, River. Taylor’s mentioned you plenty.” She smiles prettily up at me, and I can immediately see why T is so taken with her. She looks over at Rain then, quirking a brow. “How do you guys know each other?”

Rain shrugs. “Football. Riv is my new QB.”

And for some reason, his simple explanation sends ice through my veins. Yeah, Rain. Not like we’re fucking multiple times a day or anything. Let’s go with football.

She nods, accepting his non-answer just as Taylor raises a brow in disbelief at me. Rain, however, catches Taylor’s movement and glares.

“River and I are also kind of…” Rain trails off, biting the inside of his cheek in search of the correct word. “...together?”

“Remove the question mark off the end of that sentence and yeah, that’s accurate,” I say, smiling at Rain, making him roll his eyes.

What baby, you think you’re the only who wants to stake a claim? Try again.

Siena’s eyes widen but her smile grows immensely. “Oh my gosh, that’s great to hear! In that case, I’m even happier to meet you, River.” She flashes a glance to T. “Rain and I were talking about the four of us maybe grabbing di

T looks and me and I shrug. “Fine by me,” he answers, giving Rain a once over before continuing. “Gotta take a minute to get to know the guy who’s caught my boy’s interest. Meet you guys here at, say, six?”