Page 53 of Sweet Little Thing

He glanced back at me and then took a drink of his whiskey. “Presley?”

Of course, Presley. Who else would I be talking about? I didn’t say that, though; I simply nodded.

“She’ll be fine. She’s dramatic. It’s her nature and always has been.”

He hadn’t answered what I really had been trying to figure out.

“She does this a lot?” I asked.

He smirked and took a drink. “There are several reasons I was sleeping in Jasper’s pool house. What you witnessed was one of those reasons.”

“Then…why do you stay together?” I needed to shut up. It was the day I’d had making me continue to ask things I shouldn’t.

“That’s a story too convoluted to get into. I’ve not had enough to drink to unload that one. Maybe another time.”

I deserved a more curt response from him for my nosiness, but he’d been polite.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

He didn’t agree or disagree. Instead, he continued to drink and stare at me with his bored expression. He wanted me to go. After that debacle, I imagined he needed peace and quiet.

“Good night, and thank you again,” I said before turning to walk down the hallway toward the room he said was mine.

“You’ll find your things in the closet,” he told me.

“Okay, thank you,” I replied. I seemed to be saying thank you a lot to him today. But I didn’t know how else to express my gratitude. I wish I could do something to earn my keep or pay him back for all his help. Cleaning his apartment wasn’t something he needed. This place was immaculate.

“And Beulah, Presley is my stepsister,” he called down the hallway causing me to pause a moment in surprise. I didn’t turn around though because I wasn’t sure I could keep the shock off my face.

Chapter

Thirty-Seven

Beulah

I understood stepsiblings weren’t related by blood, but pondering Presley and Stone together was still disturbing. Did they grow up together in the same house? Because if that was true, their relationship was…well…gross. Wasn’t it? I couldn’t decide if I was being judgmental or not. Maybe I should be more open-minded. They were obviously in a relationship of some kind. Her angry outburst when she assumed he was sleeping with me sure made it seem as if she was his girlfriend. Besides how could I judge them when I had slept with someone actually blood related to me.

Stone had been a distraction for a moment. Continuing to ponder his personal life however was intrusive. I would keep my mouth shut about it and out of their way.

I laid my head back and closed my eyes as I soaked in the large claw-foot tub.

Thinking about my life however caused my stomach to turn.Thoughts of Jasper and all I knew now began to run through my head again. I should have stayed focused on Stone’s situation. That was safer for my mental health

My life had taken a disturbing tragic turn I hadn’t seen coming. Focusing on Heidi through all of it had kept me from looking at how I was affected. In the silence it was hard not to think about it.

The ringing of my phone startled me, and I sat up to see where I had left it. When it rang again, I turned toward the sound to find I’d put it on the vanity. I didn’t want to get out of the tub yet, but it could be Heidi calling. But what if it wasn’t…

Jasper hadn’t called or come looking for me today. I had thought perhaps he had accepted the harrowing truth and known my leaving was best for everyone. What we had was over just as quickly as it had begun. My feelings for him were complicated and different than they had been. Finding out the truth had changed many things.

Standing, I grabbed the towel on the white and gold stand beside the tub and wrapped it around my body before hurrying over to the vanity. I reached for my phone then snatched my hand back at the sight of Jasper’s name on the screen. He shouldn’t be calling. We had nothing more to say. Not right now. Time was required for this. Time for the things we had felt to fade. Hearing his voice…I wasn’t ready.

Fate didn’t like me much.

I stepped away from the phone as the ringing ended. Cringing as the sound alerting me that it had gone to voicemail filled the silence. I didn’t want to hear his voice. I would just delete it. This was the way it had to be. He would see it too. Soon. He had to.

The sound of a slamming door echoed down the hall. Holding my towel tighter around me, I walked back into the bedroom, somewhat concerned. It could just be Presley.

The shouting I heard wasn’t Stone’s angry stepsister. It wasJasper’s voice.

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