Page 14 of I Replaced His Husband
"Maurice has been dead for two months, and you already found yourself a new brother-in-law?"
Adam closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. "Listen, I didn’t plan it from the start, at least not consciously. It’s just… something that hit me when I saw you two together. You looked like…a dream couple. Both so beautiful. I don’t know. A gut feeling."
"Okay, stop. Please. This is just embarrassing. You scheming behind our backs? Cringe as hell."
Another heavy silence settled between us. I found myself avoiding his gaze, staring at the wall, twitching my fingers.
Why the hell was I so uncomfortable… andfired up? There was sweat on my back, and it felt like I was being interviewed for the role of a lifetime. Ridiculous.
Finally, Adam shrugged. "Okay, I’m sorry, Rain. I won’t bring it up again. But you should still take the tray. He’ll need sex again, anyway. It usually hits in three waves: morning, afternoon, and late evening. The afternoon one’s coming up. You’ll already be in the room when it starts."
Still feeling uneasy, I mulled it over. I should’ve been way more pissed at his scheming, but I wasn’t. Not really, no idea why.
My eyes landed on the tray, and then I just made up my mind.
"Okay. I’ll try," I said, a little dryly.
We locked eyes for a moment. Finally, Adam lowered his head.
"I’m really sorry for what I said earlier. I crossed a line. I let my imagination run wild. I guess we’ll just see how things evolve naturally."
Tilting my head, I muttered, "Yeah. Probably not the best time to talk about stuff like this, especially right after he kicked me out like arent boy. But hey, who am I to judge? I imagined too much too. Or maybe… not enough. Guess we’re both out of our element."
Adam gave me a rueful smile and nodded. "Good luck, then."
"Gonna need it."
As he walked out, I stared at the door he closed behind him.
Un-fucking-believable.
This weird situation was getting even weirder.
Four days ago, I was just a depressed divorcée with nothing on my mind but some work crap and a slowly growing need to get laid. Maybe I jumped into this whole thing too fast, letting my dick take the wheel. And now, suddenly, my college buddy had spun this whole web of plans and hopes for me and his widowed brother, someone I hadn’t even met until a few hours ago.
How could thispossiblyget any more peculiar?
My gaze drifted to the tray.
Ah, fuck.
One thing Adam said was true. This would all evolve on its own, anyway. And I was about to find out why his suggestion didn’t actually piss me off that much. Not deep down. Maybe on the surface. But underneath, it made me feel… strangely giddy. Confused. Intrigued.
For all my protests and scolding, there was this tiny glimmer of hope. That maybe, somehow, by helping Kay… I’d find myself on a new path, too.
Premature?
One step at a time, Rain. One step at a fucking time.
???
Ten minutes later, after a quick shower, I found myself walking toward Kay's room, feeling a bit jittery. Would he be angry to see me intruding with such an obvious pretext as a tray? I doubted he'd appreciate Adam's hopeful, romantic plans for us, and my going along with them might only cause more trouble. But since it wasn't my idea in the first place, my conscience was spotless.
Not dwelling on it too much, I knocked on his door.
"Come in." Kay's voice was calm, so I figured the wave hadn’t started yet. I nudged the door open with my elbow and entered, greeted by a pair ofdisapprovingnavy-blue eyes.
Kay sat on the bed with a drawing tablet in hand. I knew he worked as an architectural illustrator, having studied architecture and art in college. Since he left modeling right after his wedding one year ago, he had been working remotely.
