Page 87 of Jilted

“Oh my God!” my niece Olivia shrieked from the other room.

I ran into the kitchen and found her covering her eyes. Wilder stood in his boxer briefs, frozen, with a coffee mug in his hand. I gestured for him to go into the bedroom. Once the coast was clear, I spoke to my niece. “You can uncover your eyes now.”

“Yes, but I think my retinas might be permanently scarred.”

I cracked a smile. “I think what you got a peek at is pretty spectacular.”

“He’s like sixty.” She took her hands away and promptly rolled her eyes. “Is Wilder your boyfriend or something?”

“Umm… It’s new. Sorry. I should’ve locked the door.”

Wilder strolled back into the room wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He picked up the coffeepot and nodded at Olivia. “Good to see you, kid. Don’t you knock?”

“Don’t you wear clothes?”

He poured a cup of coffee and leaned a hip against the counter. “Not when I sleep. Your aunt was kind enough to let me crash on her couch last night because I got in late.”

She wasn’t buying it. “Uh-huh, sure.”

“Shouldn’t you be at school?” he asked.

“I was just leaving, but Dad forgot to leave me lunch money.”

Wilder pulled his wallet from his pocket and slipped out a bill, extending it to my niece. “Here you go.”

“She doesn’t need afifty,Wilder.”

“It’s the only American bill I have.”

Olivia smirked. “I’ll bring him change.”

I shook my head. “Like I haven’t heard that a hundred times.”

She tucked the fifty into her pocket. “I thought Lucas was coming in tonight?”

“He is.” Wilder sipped his coffee. “I have a meeting, so I came a day early. I’m picking him up from the airport later. You two gonna hang out?”

“We want to.”

“That can be arranged.If…”He tipped his mug to her. “You’re not late to school.”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes again, but waved. “See you later, Aunt Sloane.”

“I’ll walk you out.”

I pulled the door closed behind me. “I’m sorry you had to see Wilder half-dressed.”

She shrugged. “I gotta go.”

“Alright. Have a good day.”

Olivia stopped two steps down and turned back. “Do you think his brother looks like that with no shirt on?”

Oh Jesus. “I don’t know. And I hope you don’t find out for another twenty years—when you’re old enough. Now get to school.”

I was still shaking my head when I walked back into my apartment. Wilder poured a second cup of coffee and added half and half before passing it to me.

“I think we might have a problem,” I said.

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