Page 70 of Golden Rule

A laugh slips out. “You kidding me?Especiallywhen you’re being a bitch.”

She elbows my ribs lightly, and I pull her closer, symbolic of the way I intend to hold on to this woman forever. If I were to ever lose her, if there were to ever be an end toWestandBlue… on my life, that’d be the end of my whole fucking world.

Chapter Twenty-One

Blue

I’m nervous.

ShouldI be nervous?

Yes, this is a big deal, but it’s just a walkthrough, an opportunity to share my vision for the building.

I check my makeup one last time in the mirror just as Scar pulls up. Even though it wasn’t part of the original plan for her to be here, I’m glad she volunteered during dinner last night. It’s one thing totalkabout taking this on, but a completely different thing finally seeing the pieces fall into place.

We climb out of our cars at the same time, and I glance toward the black sedan parked just ahead of me on the curb. When I insisted it was ridiculous to have our driver bring me here this morning, West’s compromise was to have Milo and Oliver from our security team escort me in his absence. While that initially seemed unnecessary, remembering what Jules said at dinner last night about her father’s near robbery, I suppose this isn’t overkill after all.

“Sup, woman,” Scar greets me, bumping my hip as she pops a piece of gum into her mouth.

“Just being a nervous spaz. You know, the usual.”

She laughs at that, maybe because it’s kind of true.

“What time’s this guy supposed to be meeting us?” she asks. “Isn’t he already late?”

My lips part to answer her question, but the sound of a roaring engine, followed by loudly screeching tires, steals our attention.

“Almostlate.” I answer her question while reading the name of the contractor’s business posted on the side of his truck.

Scar and I wait in silence as someone exits on the driver’s side, then rounds the bed with a clipboard in hand. He’s tall and kind of rugged in a plaid shirt rolled to his elbows, jeans faded from wear. A thread-worn baseball cap shades his eyes until he’s close, wearing a smile I’m guessing he thinks will distract us from the fact that he just sped through a residential neighborhood going atleastforty miles an hour.

“Morning, ladies,” he greets us.

“Morning. Seth, right?”

He nods, then reaches to shake my hand. “In the flesh. And you must be Blue.”

“I am. And this is my sister Scarlett.”

He passes a look toward Scar, then shakes her hand, too.

“Our dad speaks really highly of your work. Your father’s a retired cop, too?”

“On paper, yes. But that stern, militant side of him is still on payroll,” he says, prompting Scar and I to laugh.

“Can’t relate. Mike left the force and never looked back.”

“Must be nice,” Seth says, then gestures toward my future youth center. “Well, I’m ready for you to show me around whenever you’re ready.”

“Sure. This way.”

I lead us toward the front entrance, feeling my heart race as I find the key on my key ring. It’s so surreal to actually have access to this place now, for it to really be mine. It’s a dream that’s been years in the making.

One side of the heavy, green double doors squeals on its hinges as I pull it open. The instant we step in, we’re greeted by the pungent smell of dust and standing water. Seth rests his clipboard against his thigh as he peers up, giving the front entryway a onceover.

“It needs a ton of work, but it has good bones.”

I smile, hearing someone other than me describe it that way. “My thoughts exactly.”

---