Page 94 of Until Bax

“I don’t think my legs will work.”

“My poor baby.” He smiles, looking smug. “I’ll go start the shower and be back to get you.”

“You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?”

“A little.” He lifts me off him, and I let out a quiet whimper at the loss of him. “Be right back.” He kisses my shoulder before letting me fall to my belly. Tossing the blanket over me, he exits the bed and walks into the bathroom while I roll to my side and listen to the shower turn on with a smug smile of my own on my face.

* * *

Leaning backagainst the headboard in bed with my knees bent and the book I’m reading on my upturned thighs, I look out the sliding glass doors in the bedroom and watch Bax lean against the banister as he talks on the phone. After breakfast earlier, we came upstairs to get dressed, and he found he had a string of missed calls from his sister Nalia and his parents, so he left me with a kiss and stepped outside to call them back. After I finished putting on makeup and getting dressed, I decided to lay in bed and read while waiting for him. That was close to an hour ago.

Like he feels me looking at him, he turns his head my way. He gives me a tight smile, and I smile back before dropping my eyes to my book. A few days ago, he told me about the situation with his sister and that she was planning on moving home, but he hadn’t talked to her since then, so hopefully, everything is okay. Hearing the sliding door open, I look up from my book as he closes the door and walks toward the bed. Falling onto his stomach, he wraps his arms around my thighs and drops his chin to the tops of my knees.

“Sorry that took so long.”

“It’s okay.” I slide my fingers through his hair that is a mess after our shower. “Is everything alright?”

“No.” He shakes his head, pressing his lips to my knee. “Nalia called our parents this morning and told them about the situation, and shit hit the fan. They are pissed at her and now pissed at me because she told me, and I never filled them in on what was happening.”

“Why didn’t she want to talk to them?”

“You’d have to ask her that question. My sister is a conundrum all her own.”

“Is she still moving back here?”

“She’ll be here Tuesday, and not surprisingly, Mom and Dad are taking over. Dad’s flying out tonight to help her drive back while Mom works on getting her an apartment close to them.”

“Does she want that?”

“She didn’t. Then Dad told her that you were staying with me, and she decided that it would be better if she and Zuri got a place of their own.”

“Did you tell her that I have my own place and that I’m not living with you?” I ask softly.

“No, because you are staying with me.”

“Yes, I get that, but I have a room at Kourtney’s house. I don’t live with you.”

“You’re not staying there, Oli, not even when the alarm system is put in.”

“Then I can stay with my parents, so your sister feels comfortable at your house.”

“That’s not happening.”

“Bax, I don’t feel comfortable being the reason Nalia feels like she has to rush into an apartment when that is not what she wanted to do. Something I completely understand especially when she is moving across the country and needs a little time to find her footing.”

“You’re not the reason she’s not staying with me.”

“You just told me that she is getting an apartment after finding out I’m staying with you,” I whisper, and his jaw clenches. “Look, I like staying with you, but you know that I’m eventually going back next door or even finding my own apartment.”

“Can we talk about this later?”

“No, I want to talk about it now.”

“Olivia.” He sighs.

“Bax.” I use the same tired, put-out sigh he did, and he glares at me.

“I like you with me.” He bites out, and my annoyance melts away in an instant.

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