Page 23 of Restrictions

“He’s getting so big.”

“He still needs you.” I see the panic in her eyes and smile.

“I suppose.”

“He in bed?”

She nods her head, and I notice the worry. She carries so much with her.

“You okay, Viv?”

She raises her arms in the air, her shirt riding up and showing a very thin sliver of the skin of her taut stomach and then drops her hands in her lap. “Yeah. I’m fine. My mom called this morning to tell me that my father and she are dropping off a present for Sebastian tomorrow and then catching a flight to New York.”

“That’s good news, right?” Them being in a different time zone, albeit only one hour, is a good thing.

“Yeah. It’s good. It just means I’m truly alone.”

I roll my eyes and sit next to her on the couch. “What do I have to do to get you to understand that you aren’t alone? I’m fucking here.”

She tips her head to the side. “I know that, but you know what I mean.”

“I don’t actually.” I know she thinks I’m going to get wifed-up and move out, but that’s fucking insane as I tried to portray during our talk yesterday.

She sighs and then we both look toward the front door when the doorbell rings through the house. “Who would that be?”

I jump up from the couch and run to the door, hoping whoever it is doesn’t ring the doorbell again and wake up Baz. I pull open the door, and Viv moves to my side. I see it’s Sawyer, and he’s not alone. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I nod behind him at Bianca and two other friends from school—Porter and Nadia.

Sawyer’s grin is easy and totally unaffected by my obvious irritation. “Today was the first day back to class. Thought we’d celebrate.”

He holds up a twelve-pack, and I see Bianca has a bottle of vodka in her hands. “No.”

“Oh come the fuck on, man. You aren’t dead.” His eyes move to Vivienne, who has her arms folded and is obviously very nervous.

I’m sure Vivienne is internally freaking out, considering not throwing a party is one of her very few rules, but she has to know I didn’t invite them over. “This isn’t a fucking frat house, but there are a ton of them. Go find one.”

“Oh, come on.” He looks over his shoulder. “Four people is a party now?”

“It’s fine.” I turn to Viv. “Really it’s okay. Just, can you guys please go outside or down to your room?”

“You don’t have to.”

Sawyer pushes the door open further, walking inside, already embracing Vivienne’s forced approval. “Patio sounds good.”

The other three unwanted guests file in, and Viv closes the door, turning to me. “It’s fine. Really. It’s your house too.”

“You coming, Viv?” Sawyer pulls a beer from the twelve-pack, offering it to her.

She waves him off politely. “No. Thanks. I have some studying to do.”

“On the first fucking night? Come on, loosen up. Come hang.”

I know I tell Vivienne to loosen up daily, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to deck Sawyer for bugging her. Still, I do want her to come outside for a bit.

“Thanks, but you guys go have fun.”

Sawyer shrugs and leads everyone out back, and I stay behind to talk to Viv for a minute. “I’m sorry. I swear I never even implied I would be cool with him stopping by with other people.”

She smiles, her pale pink lips lifting from the previous frown. “It’s fine.”

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