Page 63 of Tickled Pink

“So, it was a good day at work?” she asks.

“Yeah.” I nod into the camera of my phone, firmly planted to the dashboard in front of me. “It was great. Looks like it’ll be a busy week, but then it should slow down just before Valentine’s Day.”

She grins and claps her hands together. “That’s what I like to hear!”

I laugh. “How about you? How’s LA?”

She cringes as she glares toward the window of her hotel room. “I forgot how sunny it was out here.”

“Ah, yes. The sun.”

“It’s all the time! Like, give me a break.”

I chuckle. “You and Jackie have big plans tonight?”

“Yes,” she says with a sigh. “She made me promise to get cute and meet her downstairs at the bar, but I have an hour or so before I have to get ready. It’s still early here.”

I glance at the clock. Almost nine here. I stayed at the office as late as I possibly could because…

Well, reasons.

“You’re already cute,” I say.

Again, she smiles. “Thank you.” Her gaze shifts on her screen. “Oh, that’s Thad calling. Do you want me to add him to our call?”

“Uh… no,” I say. “No, you go ahead and take it. I’ll be in soon.”

“Okay.” She waves. Sweet and adorable. “Bye, Max.”

“Bye, Phoebe.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She hangs up. I sit back in the driver’s seat of my car and exhale hard. I could sit here for a while longer, but it’s a less than five-minute walk from this garage to our door. It’d look suspicious if I didn’t get home during their call, and I’ve given her too many reasons to question me as of late.

A work wife? Fuck, that stings.

I’ve never wanted to hurt her, or make her feel ignored, but I didn’t know how to explain what I’ve been feeling.

I don’t know what will happen to us when I do.

I lock up the car and make my way through the garage toward the street. The walk is quick and quiet, and when I reach the front door of our brownstone, my heart is racing. I almost don’t go inside, but this is my home.

This is our home.

I walk inside, greeted by the instant tap of Stinky’s paws pounding the floor as she races toward me. As always, I take a knee and give her a few scratches behind the ears. Such a good girl, I tell her. Did you miss me?

Thad’s upstairs. I can hear him in the bedroom, along with Phoebe’s little voice coming from his phone.

The voices of my family. The only two people I’ve ever loved.

I can’t screw this up. I hope to God I haven’t already.

I go upstairs. Our bedroom is on the second floor. I pause for a moment at the top, wondering if I should continue up to the guest room on the third floor instead. It’s a conversation we’ve never had. When Phoebe’s away, will the boys still share?

“Hey, Max!”

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