Page 89 of Stay for Me
“I have a busy day tomorrow. I want to spend a little time with Sebastian and Melanie before they’re gone over the weekend.”
Her smile is wide as she nods. “Kids are gone for the weekend? Hold on.” She puts the phone down. “Reggie! Can you bring the laptop in here, please?” A pause, and she huffs. “I didn’t ask where it was. I know it’s in the kitchen. I’m asking you to bring it to me.” She looks back into the camera. “I swear. I love the man more than any woman ever could, but he’s maddening some days.”
“And you’re a walk in the park.”
She nods. “Exactly. I’m damn near angelic.”
“As much as I’d love to debate this, I have to go.”
“Brenna Allen, you do not rush my calls. We have a lot to discuss. I know you had your date in the rain, but since then, have you seen him? Have you guys . . . you know . . . done it again?”
“Cybil Daniels, I love you, but I’m hanging up now.”
Her jaw falls slack, and she stares at me. “Are you kidding?”
“Not even a little. I am going to clean my kitchen and then go be with my kids.” And pray that no one tells you that a man is here.
“Fine. I’ll call you tomorrow, and we can discuss—”
Jacob’s deep voice cuts off Cybil, and my plan to hide him being here is gone. “Brenna? I found your drill, but you’re missing some pieces.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Not a problem, I’ll just get off this call and be right there.”
“Great.”
I smile at him, hoping to God that he doesn’t hear whatever is next to come out of Cybil’s mouth.
“Holy lying bitch! You weren’t trying to clean your kitchen, you were trying to hide the fact that Jacob is there!” Her voice is so loud that it wouldn’t matter if I had her on mute, he’d hear.
“I’m not lying. Yes, Jacob is here. All of us had dinner—as friends. He’s helping Melanie out by hanging a mirror in her room.”
“I’m sure he’s helping with a lot more than that in your bedroom.”
I hush her and walk to the other side of the kitchen. “Cybil, stop it. Whatever happens is not something I’m going to discuss.”
She raises one thin brow. “Fine, then tell me that you feel nothing other than lust for him.”
Once again, I hate my aversion to lying. I tiptoe over to the door and don’t see any shadows under the crack at the bottom. “I can’t say that.”
She’s giving me her version of a whisper. “I knew it! I called it, Reggie.”
He grumbles something as the laptop bounces on the bed. “Please, I’ll pay you to come back here and take her.”
I smile. “Hell no, she’s all yours.”
Cybil gives us both a look. “I’m going to pretend this is you both fighting to keep me.”
“I love you, but you need to butt out. Whatever it is that’s happening here, it’s not your business.”
“No, it’s not, but you are starting to have feelings for him. I can see it in your eyes. Now he’s over for dinner and hanging mirrors? You need to be honest with yourself or you’re going to end up hurt. You are falling for him.”
I bite my nail and sigh. “Maybe, but men like Jacob Arrowood don’t fall in love with girls like me.”
And that’s the reality I need to remember.
Chapter Twenty-Four
