Page 37 of Beyond the Hate

“I traced the drawings from an anatomy book I checked out in the library.”

I grin. “I should have known. You practically lived in the library.”

“It was the only place where I could get some peace from Chloe, Sophia, and Nova.”

“I can’t believe they’ve settled down.”

She snorts. “Don’t let them fool you. Being engaged – or married in Chloe’s case – hasn’t settled them down one bit.”

I lift my coffee cup and realize it’s empty. I stand. “You want another coffee?”

She pushes away from her desk. “I’ll go with you.”

“Why are you here this early?” she asks as we travel through the building.

“Working. The same as you,” I say as I open the door to the break room and usher her inside. “Have a seat I’ll make you a coffee.”

She sits down. Her eyes widen as she studies the room.

“What is it?”

“This break room is over the top.”

I scan the room. It’s nothing special. Sure, the tables and chairs are luxurious but what’s the sense in having a break room with uncomfortable chairs? You can’t have a proper break if you’re uncomfortable.

“I want everyone to be comfortable, so they can rest during their breaks.”

She points to the shelf of glasses. “And they need baccarat crystal to rest?”

“Those were a gift. Since I wasn’t planning on using them in my home, I brought them here.”

“Already too much baccarat crystal at home?” she teases.

“Nah. I break shit too often. No fancy crystal for me.”

“You break shit?”

“Correction. My brothers come over and decide to play hot potato with my stuff.”

She giggles. “Now there’s an explanation I believe.”

“My brothers are shit stirrers.”

“They’re nearly as bad as my friends.”

“Do not tell them that. They’ll take it as a challenge.”

“As would Chloe and Sophia.”

“We should probably keep them apart.”

She nods. “Good idea.”

I return my attention to the coffee machine. I place Paisley’s cup under the dispenser and hit the espresso button. But, instead of coffee filling her cup, water spurts out of the machine straight at me.

I slap my hands at the water in an attempt to stop the flow. But water continues to soak me until Paisley unplugs the machine.

“What did you do?” she asks.

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