Page 114 of Finding Our Reality

I’ve never seen someone rinse dishes and load the dishwasher so damn slow. A sloth could move at a faster pace than this. Not to mention, every time she bends over, flashing the back of her thighs to me, my erection grows harder. I mean, I could knock down concrete pillars over here.

She’s playing our game. And she’s not playing fair.

After an eternity, she closes the dishwasher and makes her way back over to the table. Stepping between my legs, she grabs the hem of her skirt and lifts it to her waist.

Kill. Me. Now.

She’s not wearing any panties.

“Your dessert is served. Game on, Ry.”

My eyes dart to hers. It’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.

Wrapping my hand around the back of her head—so I won’t give her a concussion—I fling her across the kitchen table and make up for twelve long years.

Starting with eating that dessert.

***

I wish I could say that coming home Monday night was as pleasant as coming home Sunday night, but it wasn’t.

She wasn’t there.

I didn’t have a chance to call or text her until about four and she didn’t respond. When I pulled in my driveway, her SUV wasn’t there. I raced through the house calling her name. Like a fool, I even checked the closets. I immediately jumped in the truck and raced back into town.

And here I stand, pounding on her front door. “Open the damn door, Lulu.”

After just a second, Holt opens the door. He takes one look at me and starts laughing. I’m about to punch him in the face when he steps to the side, letting me pass. Lulu’s sitting at the counter, laptop open, and earbuds in her ears. Smiling brightly, she waves and motions that she’s on a web call.

Looks like I’m waiting.

Holt takes a long sip of a sports drink. He’s drenched in sweat. He’s obviously been working out, doing his physical therapy. “I see, after all this time, she’s still driving you crazy,” he says.

“I want her to drive me crazy until the day that I die.” Whoa, I didn’t mean to get that serious with Holt.

The humor fades from his face and his brow furrows. “You never moved past her, did you, man? It was always her.”

I lean against the back of the loveseat, watching as she furiously scribbles notes in a green notebook with purple polka dots. “She was my one and only. She’ll always be my one and only.” I turn and study him. “Just wait. Just wait until it happens to you. You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”

He shrugs, fiddling with the wrapper on his bottle. “Hey, I’m ready.” Lightening the mood, he nudges my shoulder, “Got any hot female relatives you wanna set me up with?”

“The only female relative I have is my mother. And she’s currently in jail.”

Holt’s eyebrows lift into his hairline. “Uhhh. Hard pass.” He walks back to his room, hollering over his shoulder. “Nice hickeys, by the way.”

I pace around the living room, waiting on Lulu to end her work call. When she finally does, she yanks the earbuds from her ears and races over to me. Throwing her arms around my neck, she kisses one of the healing hickeys. “Hi.”

“You left.”

Pulling away, she studies my face, smirking like she can’t believe I’m actually upset. “Of course, I left. It was a regular workday today. You had work, I had work.”

I toss my hands in the air. “So?”

“Plus, I only packed enough for one night.”

“So, pack more shit this time.” I look down the hall and point to her bedroom. “In fact, pack all your shit.”

She squints her eyes. “What? What are you talking about?”

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