Caught in Us (Caught Series Book 4) by Kacey Shea (free e books to read TXT) 📕

“It is. Your mom’s a smart woman.” Even if she isn’t my favorite person in the world. I’m happy Cam and his ex have a good relationship now, but in the beginning she manipulated my brother and kept him from seeing his own daughter. That’s something I can’t totally forgive.

“If I sleep over”—Kenz leans forward, dropping her voice to a murmur—“We could play and no one would have to know.” She flashes me a grin.

Lord. This is my brother’s child. “I don’t know if I want to be accomplice to your rebellion.” I chuckle, reining in my grin. “Besides, someone will rat us out.”

“Then you need to play Roblox with me!”

“Maybe.” I laugh and my eyes dart to the door, movement catching my attention like it has a dozen other times in the past ten minutes. Only this time my heart lodges in my throat. Because it’s her. Alicia.

Fuck. I never thought I’d see her again, and now she’s here looking better than ever. She’s filled out, her curves more profound than before. Her hair is longer, the color a deep brunette. But her smile is just as I remember, even if it’s guarded. My chest aches with a familiar pang. I used to know her. Inside and out, better than anyone. But now we’re practically strangers and it stings. Nostalgia for the summer we spent together overcomes my thoughts.

I want her to look at me. I need to see if she feels it too. I wait for her to scan the room, but quickly lose patience. Fuck it.

Abandoning my niece, I slide from my chair, ready to stomp across the room and haul Alicia into my arms. All my plans to play it cool fly out the window. A primal need to touch her, hear her voice, and gain her smile fuels my confidence.

Her chin turns. Our eyes meet. My pulse races, along with my confidence.

Only, it’s cut short when I notice her slide her hand through the arm of another man. A man holding a child. What the fuck?

“Alicia! Oh my God! You’re really here!” Callie shouts, dragging Alicia’s stare away from mine.

Soon she’s enveloped in hugs and greetings, crowded by Jill, Cam, Callie, Ash, and several other guests. I should join them but I hang back, my gaze stuck on the small boy being held by Alicia’s date.

She moved on. She started a family. That’s why she stayed away. Fuck. It shouldn’t bother me, but it hurts to see her with someone else. An overwhelming urge to punch him in his friendly, smiling face curl my hands into fists. With a measured exhale, I relax my fingers and will myself to look away from the couple. A million questions enter my mind. Who is this man? This child? He must be hers; he looks exactly like her. I can’t believe she moved on, and so quickly. I don’t know jack shit about babies or child development but the kid can’t be older than three. The math isn’t complicated.

Was I so easy to get over? Did our summer together mean anything? Surely, it didn’t hold the same significance for her as it did for me.

The man at her side flashes her a secret grin, the kind people share when they know the other’s thoughts without having to say a word. A flash of jealousy sparks with that one look, spreading through my veins as a new realization hits—I should be the one trading secret stares with Alicia. This guy she’s with isn’t anything special. He seems extremely average; if anything, the epitome of safe. Why him? What does he have that I don’t? Does he make her happy?

Memories of our stolen summer plays like a movie in the back of my mind. I once held her laughter, her smiles—her heart. But I was the one to fuck it all up.

My gaze collides with Alicia’s again. It’s only for a moment, but I swear she can read all the questions in my mind. Her smile is polite, but her eyes, they hold answers. Full of compassion, or maybe regret? I sense her reluctance and it breaks open old wounds. The pain of her leaving, running. Away from us; away from me. Because I wasn’t whole. I wasn’t good enough. Not for her.

My insides are a jumbled mess, and standing back doesn’t gain me an ounce of closure. Faking a calm I don’t feel, I step forward with an easy grin to join the group.

It shouldn’t matter what she thinks, but I’m desperate to show Alicia she was wrong about me. I’m sober, healthy, and happy. When she left town she missed out on what we could have been, but that didn’t stop me from healing. Apparently, it didn’t stop her from finding someone else and making a family of her own, without me.

6

Alicia

“Fuck. It’s good to see you again.” Jill wraps me into her warm embrace.

I squeeze her back, closing my eyes tight so they won’t drift back to Chase. He’s here. Of course he is. His stepbrother is the groom, after all. My mistake is thinking I could handle it. “Jilly. You’re getting married!” I infuse every bit of excitement into my words, praying it covers my nerves.

She steps out of my arms, her smile wide. “I know! Fuck! Can you believe it?”

“You look fantastic!” Callie beams, stepping away from her boyfriend Ash’s side to give me a hug. “You always do.”

“And who is this cutie?” Cam playfully taps Matthew’s elbow.

My son averts his gaze, tucking his head into Simon’s shoulder. It’s his go-to move when he’s overwhelmed by attention.

I feel everyone’s gazes go from Matthew to Simon, and then back to me. I sense their unspoken questions and my stomach plummets. Their silent judgment settles on my shoulders. Why did I think I could do this?

“I hope you’re talking about the babe, and not me,” Simon teases, earning a few laughs and easing the tension.

“Sorry, where are my manners?” I finally find my