Page 15 of Katie 3

When he slaps my ass while nearly bottoming out, I come apart. He follows a few seconds later, panting in my ear as he shudders and folds himself around me.

I’m not going anywhere.

Chapter nine

Carter

Katie has me editing her paper. Brad’s been missing in a way. I know he comes home at night, but he’s been going to work constantly. He hasn’t been showing up on campus, and I haven’t walked in on him fucking Katie. I don’t even know if he is.

Which is problem enough.

Her brain is clearly doing more harm to her than anyone else could.

“Is Dan back at school?” I ask suddenly.

She blinks a few times, looks at where I am in her paper, then her brow furrows. “What… what?”

“Is Dan back? Have you seen him?”

“No,” she answers.

“Not at all?”

“I haven’t… But that’s not weird. We went to your lecture together and that was pretty much it. He’s younger and we don’t have classes that overlap. Why would I see him?”

“He made a point of it.”

“Now all he has are bad memories associated,” she replies with a shrug as if it’s that simple.

She’s shockingly calm about it. Before I can comment on that, ask if she’s doing better, I hear the door open and close.

“Don’t. I’ve been doing what you said. I’ve been—”

“Four days, Brad! We’re in this mess because ofyou,” Dad argues.

“I need to go down there, I need to—” Katie starts.

“Don’t,” I warn.

She doesn’t listen. She’s wearing some flirty little dress. Something that looks almost innocent. I follow her downstairs, knowing that catching her and pulling her back to the bedroom isn’t going to keep being an option.

I can’t keep her from the bullshit of downstairs forever. Of course, she stumbles into a cold-war battle with the addition of yelling. Yelling that stops the second Brad sees her.

“Hi, Katie,” Brad says calmly.

“Henry,” Katie says, gently touching Dad’s shoulder. “Please sit down?”

He looks at her for a long moment, glances at her belly, then strokes her back. He kisses her forehead. “I have more work to do.”

“At least have dinner, Daddy,” she insists. “We cook so well together and I miss it.”

He seems torn. I’ve never seen Dad split on a decision before. He slowly rubs her back and kisses her temple again. “We’ll do that soon. Right now, I have to keep Brad out of jail and keep up with my other cases.”

“You’re going to burn out or pass out at work though,” she tries.

“I’ll be fine. I’m not as old as I look,” Dad says before lightly stroking through her hair, eyeing her dress, and walking out.

Brad’s eyes shift between Dad and Katie, and then he sighs. He walks over to her, picks her up, and presses her against a wall as Dad leaves, as if not seeing the door shut will soften his rejection. Brad presses himself against her. “You’re better than the gym.”

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