Page 48 of Myself

“You’ve always made me smile,” she whispers, and it warms my heart that I am able to do that for her. Then she gets serious. “You’re still in trouble.”

“Still wanna cut me off for a week?” I ask, grinding my hips against hers. She lets out a moan and pulls my head down to hers.

“Maybe next week.”

I laugh as my lips find hers.

**

We stand side by side at the double sinks in her bathroom, getting ready and no longer having to be quiet. While we were having sex, we heard the front door close, alerting us to Ashlyn and Ryder leaving. She insisted for me to stop so she could go check. When I told her no, she reminded me that if they were gone, we could be louder. I let her get up the next second, and sure enough, she went out and checked just to be sure, and we were in the clear. And we were everything but quiet.

“What are your plans for today?” she asks, placing her toothbrush in her drawer.

“I have a meeting this morning in the office, and then I gotta meet a team of men on-site for a project I’m working on with your dad. They informed us yesterday of a problem.”

“Do you still enjoy what you do?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.

“Yes.” I rinse my mouth out and then grab a towel to wipe it off. “Why?”

She shrugs. “Just curious.”

I have always wanted to be an architect for as long as I could remember. I remember being a kid, and my father taking me to work with him. I was so amazed that my father had designed something so big and strong, and I wanted to do the same. It was never even a question of what I was going to do for a career.

“Do you ever see your sister?” she asks.

“Not as often as I’d like,” I admit. “She keeps herself busier than I do.” My sister and I were always close, just like Ryder and Becca, but after we had lost our mother, she was never the same. She buries herself in her work. She’s like a male version of Ryder. As far as I know, she doesn’t even date.

“Ryder got me and Ashlyn a spa day at her salon for next weekend. The day of his party.”

“He did? That was nice of him.”

She nods and laughs. “He was just sucking up to Ashlyn and didn’t wanna leave me out.”

“I’m sure that’s not the case, but she will be happy to see you.”

She looks down at her hands as she pretends to inspect her already clean and manicured nails and speaks softly. “Have you told her about us?

“No. Do you want me to?”

She looks up at me. “I don’t know.”

I walk over to her and remove the hair tie from her messy bun. Long dark hair falls in waves over her shoulders. I take a piece between my fingers and twist it around. “It doesn’t matter what they think.”

“I wish I could feel that way.” She sighs, and her eyes meet mine. “Are you mad at me for wanting to keep us a secret?

I want to tell her no, but a part of me hates that we’re keeping it from Ryder. He’s the only one who I think deserves to know.

Her head falls. “That’s what I thought.”

“I’m not ... mad. I’m just ...” I let go of her hair and take a step back, running a hand through my own. “I love you. And I just wish the world could know that.” That gets me a soft smile, and I kiss her on her forehead. “I gotta get going.”

CHAPTER TEN

BECCA

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I lie on my bed, looking at that damn yellow comforter still wadded up in the corner. I went online after Jaycent left earlier and bought a new one. Dark purple with white sheets to go with it. I also bought a rug to match and a throw blanket. My room needs some color. Any color besides yellow. I sat on my bed for a few hours doing research about what all I needed in order to open my business when my cell rings. I smile when I see it’s Margaret, Ashlyn’s mother.

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