Page 33 of Lush

My hand moved faster as I thought about corrupting the town’s perfect princess. I’d make every thrust count. Until she was slathering my dick with her slippery essence.

“Fuck!” I grunted as I felt the tingling surge up my legs.

I braced one hand against the wall, feeling the rush hit me hard, relentless. My head dropped, breaths coming fast. Her image burned behind my eyes and left me raw and unsteady as my release swirled down the drain.

The day had started shit and, hours later, was going to shitagain.It always did when I had to step into my parents’ house.

“Reese,” Nina greeted me, stepping aside to let me in. “Your mother’s in the kitchen.”

I nodded at her and walked in without a second thought, the familiar smell of the house hitting me like it always did—wood polish, fresh flowers, and something faintly sweet coming from the kitchen.

“How’s she doing?” I asked, glancing back at Nina. Nina had been with the family for years. Conrad had hired her a few years before the accident, and she’d stayed with us after. Loyalty. One of the rarest things in our world, and she had it in spades.

“She had a session today, which seemed to have gone well. You know how she is. Keeps herself busy. The medication helps.”

“Good. She needs that.”

“So, how’s it going with Laurene?” Nina asked, switching the conversation with professional ease as she motioned me to follow her to the kitchen. “You and her adjusting to things?”

“It’s going.” I didn’t want to think about the engagement now. “Hey, Mom.”

Mom popped up from behind the enormous center island. Her brow briefly furrowed. “Reese? What are you doing here?” She gestured toward a can on the counter. “Stick the peaches up top, will you? And oh, what do you think about this centerpiece arrangement? I’m going to show it to Yvonne later.”

I grabbed the can, placing it carefully on the top shelf of the cabinet. The kitchen was an explosion of grocery bags and vases upon vases of flowers as if a florist threw up in here. I looked at the flowers on the kitchen island as Nina took over unloading the groceries onto the counter.

“I just came to talk,” I said.

“You could at least pretend to care. It’s your wedding, Reese.”

I sighed. “No one’s going to care.”

Mom sucked her teeth. “Fine. Don’t worry about it, I’ll handle it.” She paused. “You don’t have to come over here to talk. Just call.”

“I felt like talking in person, is that so bad?”

She moved around the island, and her hand brushed my back as she headed for the cabinet, and I forced myself not to react. Her touch was barely there, but it felt intentional, like the same way she used to straighten my tie or brush lint off my jacket before a big event.

“It’s just… Well, you’re always…” She made a gesture with her hands, her blue eyes squinting.

Busy.

It’s what she always says when she didn’t want me to stay, didn’t want me lingering around too long. It was easier for her, for us both really, to think I had somewhere else to be, rather than face the fact that I didn’t come around as much because I didn’t knowhowto be around her anymore.

But if things were going under, I needed somebody on my side.

“I’m here. Always. Whenever you need me.” Because no matter how much I wanted to be there for her, I knew I couldn’t undo the past.

I noticed how the skin on her hands had thinned, the veins more pronounced. I remembered those same hands pointing at me years ago, trembling with anger. When she screamed at me that it was my fault. ThatIshould’ve been the one in the hospital bed instead of Conrad, that I should’ve been the one who?—

“It’s about Conrad.”

Her hand froze, a can suspended in the air, and for a second, the only sound was the soft hum of the refrigerator.

“We need to talk about him.”

She glanced down, biting her lip before she nodded slowly. “Conrad? What about him?”

“I’ll get started on those calls, Mrs. Ashbourne,” Nina said, gathering her things and leaving the room.

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