Page 68 of Dean

“Yeah. I mean, you don’t need to do that, but certain trees remind me of up north.”

I stare at him and then nod. “Send me which ones and I’ll see if I can find some guys to come plant them.”

“Trees are expensive.”

“Yeah, but I can afford it.”

Avery mutters under his breath but still texts me a small list. Canada red chokecherry tree and birch. Those will bloom in the spring and fade in the fall. I get why he’d like that. Currently, I just have a few eucalyptus trees that have grown far too big over the years.

I should get them trimmed.

And maybe I should buy some pots for him to plant flowers in. Seems he’d like that.

“Oh, did you know Avery is an artist?” Kit pipes up, and I turn my head to stare at him.

“What? Really?”

Avery blushes and shakes his head. “I dabble. I’m really not that good.”

“We won’t know until you show us something you’ve done,” Kit says and I arch an eyebrow at them both.

So, trees and canvases, I think as I scrape my plate clean. I need to make some purchases soon. I can’t believe he didn’t tell me this, but then again, I never asked.

It’s been all about me. All the time.

Fuck.

I need a minute, so I murmur that I’ll take care of the dishes, and then I walk inside, bringing the plates with me. As I work, I watch them, the two of them chatting casually, laughing, and touching far too much. How does Kit know more about Avery than I do? And in such a short period? I don’t like that at all.

I may break a plate while I watch the two of them. I try to keep my jealousy under wraps, but it’s hard.

I don’t want to have these feelings.

I really don’t, and yet I fucking do.

When Kit finally leaves, it’s late, later than I wanted it to be. I feel like I needed to be in bed three hours ago, and yet I’m watching Kit meander down the driveway. He had his fill of steak and salad and dessert. I thought he’d never leave.

As I shower, washing the smoke and grease from my body, I feel the food sitting heavily in my stomach. The way Kit and Avery bonded almost immediately made me feel…something?

“It’s not fucking jealousy,” I murmur to the showerhead.

It just stares back at me, silent.

Asshole.

“Yeah, well, I just didn’t like it. It was too much.”

The shower sputters, the pipes whining at me. I probably need to get that checked.

I sigh as I step out of the tub and into the steam lingering from such a hot shower.

Wrapping a towel around my waist, I swipe my hand along the fogged-up mirror. My face is reflected at me and I stare deeply into it.

Do I look different? Have I changed?

Has Avery changed me?

I cock my head, assessing. And as I start to really think about who this man is looking back at me, I hear a crash and a murmured shout. Without hesitation, I rush out of the bedroom and into the hallway, noticing that the bathroom door is closed and Avery is inside. I can hear the water streaming from the showerhead and a murmured, “Shit. Oh fuck.Oh, fuck, why is this my life?”

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