Page 87 of Break

“Is that a problem?”

Her shiftiness makes my hands ball into fists. If she denies us this, I don’t know how I’ll handle it.

Landon senses it too, and his tone changes slightly. “Nicole?”

She visibly gulps like her throat’s too tight or something. “I think maybe we should hold off on that for now.”

The woman might as well have cut my chest open with a spoon, scooped my heart out, and tossed it over the balcony like she did her fucking cell phone.

“I’m not stalling for reasons you’re both probably thinking, so relax.”

Relax? Fuck that. “This isn’t a light subject like what movie we’re going to see tonight. This is our future and your safety we’re talking about.”

She bites her bottom lip and slides off Landon’s lap. “I’m just saying Japan is far.”

“The two feet you just moved away from me is too far.” Landon’s annoyance is obvious.

I agree with him.

Christ, since when did we become complete cave men? This level of possessiveness and protectiveness is over the top, even for us. Then again, is there such a thing as over the top when it involves someone you love?

“What do you want, Nicole?” Leave it to Landon to not beat around the bush. “Just fuckingsay it so we can all get on the same page.”

Wow. That was… brutally to the point. I love him for that.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Yes, it is,” we say at the same time.

She gawks at us for a full count of five, then closes her gaping mouth. “What if what I want isn’t what you want?”

“Try us,” I say. Because I bet she’d faint if she knew what I truly want for the three of us. Landon might be on the floor with her for all I know.

“I’ll sound like a gold digger,” she fusses, crossing her arms.

“Honey, there’s no such thing as a gold digger. A woman is either in someone’s price range or she isn’t. And Kerr and I have big bank accounts.”

She huffs a little laugh and rolls her eyes. Of course, our money wouldn’t impress her. She’s probably got double what we have. Only she’s not allowed to touch it unless she falls in line with her family’s expectations.

Is that her hang up? “Do you not want to be with us because you’re afraid you’ll be cut off from your accounts?”

Nicole flinches. “I hate that you’d even ask me that.” She stands up and storms away from us, but I catch her arm, stopping her. “Then what is it?”

“You’re going to think less of me if I say.”

“Woman…” Iforce myself to take in a few steady, calming breaths and remind myself that she may know a lot about us, but there’s still a lot left to learn, too. “Do not presume to know everything about me or Landon.”

She deflates a little, understanding how insulting that was of her. “Sorry. You’re right. It’s just my own insecurities running amuck.” Letting out a long exhale, she rolls her shoulders back and deadpans me. “I don’t want to work for my family anymore. I don’t want to work at all. I want to live in a little house with a little pool and mow my lawn and shop for my own groceries.”

My heart clogs my throat.

Landon leans forward, and I’d bet a million bucks his mouth is hanging open.

“I want babies. And join that thing that parents go to at the school to bring cupcakes and fundraisers and stuff.”

“PTA,” Landon says in a gruff voice.

“Yeah. That. And I want to just… be.”

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