Begin Again

| Chapter Eighteen |

*Please listen to the song above! It's a major vibe for this chapter. Also, the scene below at the end of the chapter actually happened to me and it made 15-year-old Bri SWOON. I need to stop being toxic with this book's characters, BUT I CAN'T HELP MYSELF.

And hey, at least I'm getting these chapters out! And I did mention I didn't want this book being as long as the first, so the pace is getting a little more picked up now. For reference, the first book was 60 chapters and I'm hoping this one will be right around 30-35 at most.

Anyway, enjoy my loves!*

Brunch was . . . eventful.

Ruth tried her best not to look at Raffo sitting across from her, but it was nearly impossible not to. Like a moth to a flame, her eyes found their way back to him. There, she'd make eye contact with the one guy who drew her in like no other.

Emily's eyes were dark and mysteriously pulled her in like the waves on a shoreline. But Raffo's? His were warm and dewy, reminding her of chestnuts on a fire and warm summer nights over hickory flames. The stark contrast of the two wasn't lost on Ruth, and she never thought she would be sitting in front of Raffo again, questioning the heart palpitations whenever he so much as held her gaze. His jaw would clench in time with her thighs and his subtle smirks were haunting.

She downed two glasses of mimosas easily when searching for desperate distractions, but they did nothing for her. Not even the hint of a buzz, and that's when she gave up on drinking altogether for the rest of the morning. She stuck to the water instead and prayed it would be enough to keep her desires at bay.

But, as one could guess, it did nothing.

By the time they got up and made their way to the pool, Ruth was antsy to lie out and soak in the sun's warmth. Though the guys were going to spend their day at the pool as well, Ruth made it a point to stay as far away from her very own trouble as she could get. He'll be with the boys, and she can hang out with the girls. Easy.

Flanked by both Chey and Kat in the layout chairs beside her, she finally took in a big breath of fresh air. She had to refocus; center herself. She had to avoid the partially naked Raffo who was climbing in the three to six-and-a-half foot pool with the other guys, beach ball in hand. Though the pool area wasn't extremely busy, there were still a good amount of people out enjoying the sun and the water. Mostly young folks and a few children, but it was still a decent turnout.

"So, Ruth," Kat drawled, lowering her sunglasses to wag her black brows at her. "You and Raffo have some history we don't know about?"

Ruth avoided her gaze by smoothing out some sunscreen on her legs beneath her bathing suit cover. "What do you mean?"

Chey, overhearing the conversation, leaned over. "Oh, come on! You think we didn't notice the way he was staring at you all of brunch while you tried to pretend like he didn't exist?"

She grimaced. "Tried?"

"Sorry, boo. But you didn't do a great job at it. Not that I blame you, that man is fine as fuck," Kat whistled. "I mean, Devon's the hottest boyfriend I've ever had. But Raffo? Fuck, just look at that man."

All three of them looked at him in the pool, his muscles rippling and on clear display for their hungry eyes. And it wasn't like they were the only ones, either. From what Ruth could tell, much to her annoyance, the guys gathered a decent amount of attention. Especially Raffo, who looked absolutely stunning beneath the sun's rays. His backwards hat made him the hottest guy at the pool, even outshining the groom.

The Indigenous Adonis, Ruth had once called him. Unfortunately, that never changed.

"He really is," Chey agreed, before turning to look at Ruth with a raised eyebrow. "Anyway, I'm guessing you guys had a thing long before Emily?"