Page 34 of Synced to Us

Poor guy needs a big boy bed.

Ack. I need to leave this room immediately before my ovaries explode.

It’s such an odd feeling, this warmth that claims my heart every time I think about last night. It seems too real, too not like me, too soon, and I need to push it down before that heat claims more of me.

My shadow leads me through the windowless hallway, enough light escaping from somewhere up high to prevent me tripping over my own feet and down the stairs. When I get to the kitchen, I sniff out the coffee machine nestled on the counter beside the fridge.

It’s an older drip version, one that reminds me of the machine McKenna and I shared in college. I find the coffee grounds and prepare the first pot. Unlike the ridiculous contraption I have at home, a few punch of the buttons and it’s gurgling to life.

“Can you make one to-go?”

I jump at the sound of the voice, nearly dropping the mug I took out of the cabinet.

“Lucy. You scared me.”

“Sorry.” Lucy grimaces and comes into the light of the kitchen. She’s dressed in tight, pastel blue athletic gear, the zipper of her jacket straining against her breasts. “I’m about to go for a jog and need to funnel at least a gallon of caffeine before I do it.”

Smiling, I offer her my empty mug and get a new one. “New to running?”

“Very.” She huffs out a laugh. “But I have to take off the baby weight, eventually.”

“Do you?” I look her up and down. “You look fantastic.”

Lucy winks. “That’s because you can’t see my stretch marks. Or the cellulite on my ass.”

“Are you kidding? You’re as toned as any jogger I see in Central Park. Those ladies are out before dawn, and they don’t fuck around.”

Lucy laughs again. The coffee is done and I pour enough for both our mugs. She rests her elbow on the counter and tests out the coffee. “Oh-em-gee, this is strong. Thank goodness someone here knows how to make good coffee.”

I wave off her compliment while taking a sip. “Years of caffeine addiction experience.”

“So, you run, then?”

“Hmm?” I step to the fridge, finding the milk, and mixing in a splash.

“You were talking about joggers in the park before sunrise. Are you there for another reason, or…”

My back tenses at the insinuation, but I internally talk myself down. She’s joking, trying to make conversation with a stranger. Wyn expressly stated I keep my past a secret from his family, and I’ve made sure all references were scrubbed from the internet before applying to Whitecrest. There’s no way she could know, never mind low-key insult me. “You’re right. I run a little.”

“Want to come with me?”

The brightness in Lucy’s voice has me peering over my shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know…”

“Please? Teach me your ways.” Lucy motions up and down my body. “You have big tits too—”

Lucy chose the moment to say tits at the exact time I lifted hot coffee to my lips, and I choke, sputtering coffee down my chin.

“—so you have to tell me your secret on keeping your girls on lock.”

I wonder if she’s more at ease when her husband’s not around.

Just as I have that thought, Lucy adds, “Besides, Brad hates my body after having kids. I’d really like to bounce back to the cheerleader I was in high school. He already bought me these, I’m ashamed to say.” Lucy sets down her coffee and cups her breasts.

I sputter again. “Never be ashamed. They look fantastic. Mine are fake, too, and I haven’t had children.” Nor an asshole husband who makes a beautiful woman feel like shit.

Lucy whispers in awe, “They are? Can I touch them?

I laugh softly and arch my back. “Sure.”

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