Choose Us Page 21

  “I thought that’s what we were doing,” Chase said, dodging his mother’s arm as it came out to smack the back of his head.

  “I think it’s time to go back to our spots. Good luck Travis,” Taylor called over her shoulder as she pulled Chase down the side of the hill.

  “So Travis, I wanted to talk to you about the TV offer…” Kathy started as she was brushing dirt off her son.

  “NO!” Travis and I both yelled at the same time. The producers of Xtreme Bachleor had two successful seasons following Travis’ season. When they caught wind Travis had proposed, they had been calling non-stop with offers of a TV show, detailing our lives as we planned our wedding and airing the wedding itself live. When Kathy brought it to our attention, I’d thought she was joking. Why would she ever think that would be okay with us? But she kept pushing and pushing, trying to get us to agree to something. She had gotten the offer down to just airing the wedding, but Travis and I’d had enough of reality TV for the rest of our lives.

  “I wish you would think about it,” Kathy complained, looking at her phone and typing out a quick message, presumably to Jim.

  “Mom, a reality show almost tore Riles and I apart. That will never happen again,” Travis told Kathy as seriously as he could. Hopefully this time she would understand we were serious.

  “Okay, okay. I get it. But I was right the first time around,” she muttered, still typing away on her phone.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  “You two were obviously not going to take the chance on each other unless something dramatic happened. I knew you were perfect for each other, so when Jim called about the show, I knew Riley had to be on it too,” Kathy said, finally looking up at the two of us.

  Travis and I stared dumbfounded at his mom. I was unable to believe she put us though that whole show just because she wanted us to be together. There had to have been an easier way.

  “You can thank me later.” She patted Travis on the head, before heading down by Chase and Taylor.

  “Your mom may be a ninja,” I said as Travis turned back to me. “She’s the sneakiest person I know.” Travis laughed and slung his arm around my shoulder.

  We watched the next few riders in silence, until it was time for Travis’ victory lap. The crowd was cheering loudly since they knew Travis was next and that he had the gold medal locked. The whole world fell away as Travis turned to face me, holding on to my arms.

  “I love you, Riles,” Travis whispered to me as he pulled me into a hug. I don’t think I’d ever get used to him saying those words to me. My stinking heart still beat too fast whenever I was around him and those butterflies never went away.

  “I love you, Trav,” I said pressing my lips to his, giving him a quick, sweet kiss. He pressed his forehead to mine and we stayed that way until his name was called. He gave me a chaste kiss before he started to pull out of the hug.

  “Be calm. Be cool. Be safe,” I whispered to him before I released him from my arms.

  Travis gave me his sexy grin and nodded. “Always, Doll.”

  Chris—Thank you for dealing with a messy house, eating many frozen pizzas, and putting up with me using the computer all.the.time. Your love and support mean the world to me.

  Lilly and Josh—Thank you for loving frozen pizza, mac and cheese and pb&j. For being content watching PBS in the mornings and letting Mommy type up a chapter or two. And for being my ‘writing buddies’ throughout this process.

  Hales—Oh jeez. Thank you for thinking the first chapter was good enough to turn into a full length novel. For reading each chapter as I wrote them. For letting me bounce ideas off you and not getting upset when I gave away a spoiler. For being there whenever I needed to complain, vent, laugh, cry…you name it…you were there. For listening to those podcasts and reading those books to have the best knowledge of self publishing, so you could answer any of my questions. Seriously…just thank you for being the best freaking friend a girl could ask for!

  Rebel Writers—You guys!! I don’t know what I would have done without you. Your support, feedback and advice have kept me going. When a few of you finished your novels, that was the push I needed to finish this one. Thank you, for not only being great peers, but for becoming great friends.

  Theresa—You are amazeballs! Your edits made this book so.much.better. Thank you for all the time you spent on this bad boy!

  Steff—Thank you for offering to edit the very first draft. For letting me harass you with questions and just letting me talk through ideas with you.

  Lisa—Thank you for dealing with my crazy obsessive ideas for the cover. For never complaining when I asked you to change the background, font, positioning, color… And for not throwing me off a cliff when in the end I decided to just go with the original picture you worked on. I love this cover so much and promise to not be a creative design freak for the next one!

  My beta readers—Kathryn, Leigh and Lenore (along with Hales and Lisa and the Rebel Writers), you ladies have NO idea how great you are! You gave me such amazing feedback and edits! I thought I had a good book before you read it, but you made it great! Thank you a million times over!!

  Rachel—Thank you for helping me perfect the blurb. For giving me advice on the other side of being an author. For being there whenever I had a question… and for writing such amazing novels!

  Anyone who has ever told me I could/should write a book—Your words stuck with me more than you will know! Thank you for believing in me!

  YOU—Thank you for picking up this book and giving it a chance! Whether you loved it or hated it—thank you for reading it! It means the world to me.

  Born and raised in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, Caylie fell in love with reading at a young age. With her lively imagination, she created numerous stories in her head throughout her childhood and teenage years. Finally at 16 she sat down at the computer and wrote out her first full length novel. That pacified her for a time. However, the stories kept swimming through her mind. Finally in 2013 she typed out Chapter One of three different novels and sent them off to a close friend for review. At her friends advice, she started exclusively writing Choose Us.

  When she isn’t slaving away at the keyboard, Caylie is an avid reader, and lover of coffee… copious amounts of coffee. She also has an unhealthy addiction to tv shows—binge watching is her favorite.

  She chases her two kids around the house all day, and has a husband whom she adores.

  Enough of that third person stuff. I love interacting with my readers. I can be found online at:

  Blog & Website:

  www.authorcayliemarcoe.com

  Facebook:

  www.facebook.com/CaylieMarcoeAuthor

  Twitter:

  @authorcayliem

  Tumblr:

  www.authorcayliemarcoe.tumblr.com

  Instagram:

  @cales27

  Goodreads:

  www.goodreads.com/authorcayliem

  If you enjoyed this book, please consider writing a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Every single review helps, even if it’s only a sentence or two. Thank you so much for reading!

  Read on for Chapter One of

  Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend

  by Cassie Mae writing as Becca Ann

  Find her on Facebook at:

  www.facebook.com/beccaannauthor

  It’s stupid to fall for your brother’s ex. It’s even worse to enlist another’s help to win the ex over. But Brody is desperate and Hayley, his partner in American Sign Language, is more than willing to lend him a few tips.

  She’s the school’s matchmaker,’ and with her bizarre and positive personality, Brody finds her easy to talk to, even about the most awkward situations. Hayley’s tips seem to be working, but as Brody learns more about his matchmaker, he starts finding reasons to spend time with her, and not the girl he thought he was in love with.

  But Hayley isn’t ready to fall for anyone. Labeled the “Funny Fat Friend” within her g
roup, her self image makes it impossible for Brody to share his feelings without Hayley shrugging it off as a joke.

  Convincing her Brody can, and did, fall for the “Funny Fat Friend” turns out to be harder than simply falling in love.

  Reason 1: You know how to sign the word ‘balls’

  More than half the time, girls who think they’re fat really aren’t. They’re just fatter than the skinniest chick in school. And even that girl thinks she’s fat. So when Hayley, my signing partner in American Sign Language shrugs off Josh moo-ing at her as she walks in the room, that’s when I figure this girl… isn’t like most girls.

  Fact is, Hayley isn’t really fat. She’s… I dunno. Not fat. The girls who talk about being fat look that way ‘cause they wear clothes that don’t fit. Like that’s going to impress us guys somehow. But the muffin top is not hot.

  Hayley doesn’t have a muffin top ‘cause she wears pants that are her size. So the moo-ing and other douchbaggery doesn’t make sense.

  Maybe it’s ‘cause I’m not that kind of guy. But whatever.

  She plops in the seat next to me, popping her gum and twisting the brown curls hanging from her ponytail. We don’t talk much. Just sign, and if she was showing the slightest bit of ‘woe is me’ from Josh’s comment, I’d probably say something. But she’s not so I don’t feel like an ass for keeping my mouth shut. That, and I’m waiting for someone else to walk through that door.

  Quynn.

  It sucks wanting someone you can’t have. And Quynn is definitely a ‘don’t go there’. She’s my brother’s ex. There’s some kind of code for that shit, but that’s not what’s stopping me. Gabe’s a cheating douche, so not sure if I’d feel too guilty about going after his ex-girl. It’s Quynn. Every time we get together it’s just… weird. Like she thinks I’m her brother. So yeah, sort of takes her off any list I have of girls I’ll probably get to see naked. Not like there’s a long list or anything.

  The room is too hot. All the sweat makes my clothes stick to my balls. Man, if Quynn walks in right when I adjust myself, I may as well sniff my hand afterward too, since that’s how attractive I’ll look.

  Okay, Brody, be quick about it. Be cool. How do you look cool when you scratch yourself? She’s still not here. Do it now! It’s driving you crazy!

  One quick glance around the room and a shift later, nuts are in the right place and no one seems to have noticed. What a big deal over nothing.

  “All right,” Ms. Stevens says as she turns around. “It’s silent time, now. Only communicate through sign. I’ll be walking around to check on each of you.”

  She starts weaving through the desks, and finally, Quynn walks through the door. She opens her mouth to apologize, but Ms. Stevens puts a finger to her lips and motions for Quynn to take a seat. She throws me a grin and a wave as she crosses the room. Her body looks kick-ass even in a hoodie and jeans. I’ve only seen her in something else a few times, and that was when she was in a Prom dress—worst day of my life since I caught her and douchebag brother going at it in the parking lot. And when she came to school once, once, in a skirt that showed off a pair of the sexiest legs I’ve ever seen. I know I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t able to concentrate that day.

  A light tap on my shoulder jerks my attention to Hayley. That’s right, we’re supposed to be doing an assignment or something. She smiles and starts signing.

  You okay? You seem… I don’t catch the rest. She’s real good.

  Sorry, go slower.

  She smiles wider and emphasizes each movement.

  You seem in a D-A-Z-E.

  Or just slobbering over the goddess that just walked in. Same dif.

  I’m fine. As fine as I ever am.

  Well, what did you… bunch of gibberish.

  Man, I wish I was as good as she was.

  S-L-O-W!

  She giggles which gets a shhh! from Ms. Stevens.

  Sorry. Hayley blushes and turns back to me and signs so slow, her hand bounces up and down. What do you want to talk about for the hour? I really don’t want another lecture over my lack of taste in music. She rolls her eyes so I catch the sarcasm.

  No educating you then. I run my hand over my buzzed head before continuing. How about movies this time?

  She scrunches her nose. I don’t see many movies.

  I swear this girl lives under a rock. Why not?

  Her face goes red again, and I wonder if I overstepped a line or something. She blushes over movies but not the moo-ing? Yeah, I don’t get girls at all.

  Sorry, did I butt in?

  She flushes deeper. Dude, what’s wrong with her? Movies I guess are out. She looks around and waves me in closer, so her signs can only be seen under our desks.

  It’s no big deal or anything, but… more gibberish.

  I grunt and stop her hands with mine. They feel kinda warm and she jerks away, going so red I don’t think there’s any blood in any part of her body but her face right now.

  Slow, please. Maybe adding the magic word will stop her from acting so weird.

  Sorry. I was saying, I don’t see a lot of movies ‘cause I don’t go out much.

  Why is that such a big deal? I wait for her to go on, but she sits straight up and starts signing so fast I’m pretty sure she’s not saying anything at all.

  I start for her hands again, then I get it. Ms. Stevens has a very distinct smell. I’m almost choking on the flowers wrapped in bacon stench coming from behind me. I glance at our teacher whose lips are pursed as she signs, Are you going to answer her, Brody?

  Whoops. Hayley was way too fast for me to keep up. I lock gazes with my signing partner, and she re-signs the question.

  So, who would it be? Jessica Alba or Scarlett Johansson?

  Okay, if she’s asking about Invisible Woman vs. Black Widow, then I know the answer, but if she’s asking who’s hotter, how am I supposed to answer that with Quynn looking at me from across the room?

  Scarlett, I guess. My hands won’t stop shaking, so that’s all I say. Ms. Stevens waves in front of my face.

  Work on your ‘S’s. She leaves, but not without me going as red as Hayley was just a few seconds ago.

  Hayley clears her throat. Oh right. We were in the middle of something.

  Sorry. We were talking about not going to movies. Then you pull two actresses out of your butt.

  We both stifle our laughter. I sorta like it when girls think I’m funny. Does weird things to my stomach, but in a good way.

  So like I was saying, I don’t get to go out much. You know, because I’m just not one of those girls.

  No, I don’t know. I don’t have the secret handbook that lets me know everything. Girls that like to see movies? I chuckle and she chuckles.

  No. Like I’m not… She stops and does a mock thinking face. It’s kinda cute. I don’t get asked out a lot. She signs it fast, but I catch it.

  How do I respond to that? It’s not like we’re best buds, and that’s a pretty big thing to admit for a girl. Man, even for a guy, it’s hard to admit. Why is she telling me?

  You have friends though, right? I attempt a smile.

  She nods. They’ve all got boyfriends. Sitting in a theater with a bunch of people making out around me? No thanks.

  She attempts a smile. I wonder if I look as half-hearted as she does.

  Yeah. I get that. Boy do I get that. I was Mr. Third Wheel around my brother.

  It slaps balls.

  I bark out laughing. Did she really sign that, or did I interpret it wrong? But she’s laughing too, and everyone’s looking at us.

  “Do I need to separate you two?” Ms. Stevens asks, lips in such a tight line I wonder if it actually came from her mouth.

  “Sorry. I’ll try not to tell jokes anymore since Brody can’t find a volume control on his laugh.”

  I laugh again, proving her point, but not much I can do about it since it’s already out there. Quynn giggles across the room, and even though I’m getting a big fat ‘see me after class�
�� look from the teacher, it was worth it.

  ***

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Hayley says after the bell rings. She scoops up her book and throws her bag over her shoulder, smacking me in the face.

  “Whoops! Sorry.”

  I shove her bag out of my way and give her the not-so-serious-mad look. She laughs and waves, knocking other people over as she makes her way to the door with her over-crowded backpack.

  Maybe she doesn’t live under a rock, but a pile of homework.

  “Brody?”

  I force myself to look at Quynn slowly. If I whip around too fast, I’ll look like I’ve been waiting for her to say my name like that. Which I have, but still. Be cool.

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you have a sec? I need to ask you something.”

  Why does she make me nervous? We used to hang out all the time before…well before Gabe banged another girl.

  “Yeah.”

  Instead of letting me stand, she perches her sexy form on the top of my desk, which leaves me eye level with her chest.

  Oh dude.

  She smells like spicy apple. I know exactly what lotion she wears, because I’m that pathetic. She watches everyone leave the room with a big smile on her face. Damn that smile. Her eyes flick to me and everything shifts below the belt. Am I ogling? Or drooling?

  I hear the door click, leaving us alone. Guess Ms. Stevens wants out of here. “Kay, so I’ve got a huge favor to ask you.”

  Look up, look up. Her eyes are just a few more inches up.

  “Okay.”

  She reaches into her pocket. Her snug pocket. Look up.

  “Could you give this back to Mom? I mean… your mom?”

  It takes me a minute to process. And to look away from the sudden hurt in her face. Quynn was tighter with their boyfriend’s mom more than I’ve ever seen someone else be. When I finally get a grip, I notice the bracelet Mom gave her dangling between her fingers.

  “Why?” I drag the word out and fold my arms.

  “Don’t make me smack you, Bro. You know why.”