Page 19 of Tied Up in Riches

“Yeah. I don’t know. Regardless, I’m not sure marriage is in my future. You know me, I like freedom.”

“But you also want to find someone.” She doesn’t ask. We’ve had the conversation before about how I would love to find my person, the way she found Dean.

“I don't think commitment and freedom are mutually exclusive. To me, you can be committed to someone, but choose to release yourself from all the heavy expectations placed on that by society. Things that complicate it unnecessarily.”

“I get that. We’re all awesome at making love more complicated than it needs to be.”

“I’m glad you figured yours out,” I tell her genuinely, leaning my head on her shoulder.

She tilts her head until it’s resting on mine. “I’m glad I had you to help me with it.”

An hour later, we’re back at home, and the awareness that Marcus is on the couch in the room next to me is at the forefront of my mind. I wonder if he regrets letting me stay here. What if he likes the waitress from tonight? What if he wanted to bring her back here and I’m preventing that? Maybe that is why he seemed put off about her tonight.

I shake the guilt from my head and delay thinking about where I’ll go after staying here and what that will look like for my life. Reaching for my Kindle on the nightstand, it slips from my grasp, falling to the floor behind the bed. Shit.

Climbing down from the mattress, I reach my hand in the narrow gap between the bed and the wall blindly. My hand latches onto something that is definitely not my Kindle. Curious, I tug on the loop. It takes my brain a moment to register, and I drop the strap immediately. Not because I’m disgusted or freaked out. I think because I’m curious. Because I want to know more, but I’m sure as shit not going to ask. Not Marcus anyway. I pull my phone from the nightstand, gripping it tight to avoid that falling too, and open the girl group chat that Maci started with me and her friends.

Me: So, I accidentally dropped my Kindle behind Marcus’ bed…

Maci: OH! Dean got me one of those things you clip to the frame and use a clicker. You need one.

Lexy: Please tell me you called him in to help you get it and got *distracted*

Me: You can’t tell him I told you.

Avery: Oh my gosh, you have to tell us now.

Lexy: Troy knows I tell you bitches everything about our sex life. Guys should expect it. But we won’t tell.

Maci: Everything is about sex with you, Lex. You don’t even have to tell us.

Lexy: Tell me you and Dean didn’t try that thing I told you about the other day and that it wasn’t amazing.

Avery: *covered in baby spit living vicariously through whatever Brooke is about to tell us*

Avery: Then let’s circle back to the thing you told Maci.

Me: I found ties tucked under the mattress.

Maci: …like hair ties?

Me: Nope.

Lexy: Oh, damn. I knew Marcus would be hot in bed, but I wasn’t prepared for kinky.

Avery: Please tell me you’re interested in trying them.

Maci: Have you ever?

Me: I’ve literally known the man for like two weeks–most of which he was gone.

Lexy: I slept with Troy the fourth time I ever saw him. Stronger argument, please.

Maci: Okay, wait. Why did I not consider this scenario? You two would kind of be perfect for each other. OMG please date him.

Me: You guys are insane.

Avery: She didn’t say she wasn’t interested.

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