Page 29 of The Third Girl

“That you did. Okay. Going now.” I scurry past him and race for the stairs, jogging up them as fast as my legs will carry me.

Upstairs, I slip out of my underwear and sleep shirt, then rummage through the drawers for fresh clothing. I hurriedly slip them on. What the hell was I thinking walking around in Matt’s home with no pants or bra on?Just making yourself at home, aren’t you?Jeez, what must he think of me? To be fair, I hadn’t noticed the time when I woke up. All I knew was Sailor wasn’t up yet. On Thursday morning, she’d gotten up at six, so I didn’t think for a second that it was already after eight and Matt might be walking in the door to see my bare ass in all its glory. Because, of course, I’d been wearing my skimpiest thong.You know, for all the men I’m not seeing right now.

Upset with myself, I head back to the bathroom so I can put my hair in a slightly neater arrangement. Staring at my reflection, it’s obvious how deeply embarrassing I found that entire situation. My entire face is still hot and bright red. It’s one of those times when makeup isn’t going to cover anything—or it would make it look like I’m trying way too hard. I settle for swiping a tiny bit of mascara over my super-pale eyelashes. I take a deep breath, letting my chest rise and fall, then close my eyes, willing myself to stop panicking. He said not to worry about it. But I’ll be damned if I’m not a basket case over this.

I don’t even know why I agreed to let him make me coffee. I should head out and lick my wounds in the privacy of my own home. This is going to be one of those moments I call up for years to come and feel the heat hit my cheeks as if it were happening all over again for the first time.

Moaning, I exit the bathroom, and trudge barefoot down the stairs. Hopefully, the leggings—combined with an oversize T-shirt that covers my butt—and the fact that I have a bra on will make him forget what he walked in on earlier. Right before I turn the corner into the kitchen where I can hear him moving around, I squeeze my eyes shut.

“What are you doing?” Matt’s deep voice carries a tone of mild curiosity.

I suck in a breath as my eyes fly open. “I’m having a morning, I think.”

He chuckles softly. “Seems like it.” He takes a sip of coffee from the mug in his right hand while offering me the mug in his left. “I wasn’t sure how you take it, so I did a little cream and sugar.”

I nod. “Perfect. I’m not that picky about my coffee.”

His brows shoot up. “Don’t let Lucy hear you say that.”

I laugh. “Oh, I’d never.” I pause for a second, not wanting to overstep, but wanting to know all the same. “Hey, how’s your mom doing?”

“Okay. At home with Dad catering to her every whim.”

I slip into one of the seats as he does the same. “That’s sweet and exactly how it should be. I’m glad she’s okay.”

He runs his hand over his jaw and sits back in the chair, eyeing me before responding, “Yeah. We are too. It was nerve-racking to say the least.”

“I wasn’t sure if I should have asked before. If I do something that you—”

He cuts me off with a jerk of his head. “It was fine. Thank you for being concerned for her.”

I can’t tell from his laid-back expression if he was really okay with it or if he’s simply being polite. “Matt, let me know if I do something you don’t like. I know I can be a tiny bit extra sometimes. I mean well, but— I like to be helpful if I can.”

He tilts his head to the side, then slowly shakes his head as his gaze narrows on mine. His voice is hushed as he says, “You may be one of the most caring people I’ve ever met.”

My heart thumps wildly in my chest at his words. “I try.”

He smiles, then drawing in a breath, he sits up in the chair and rests his elbows on the table. “Tell me how things went last night.”

“I think maybe she has a cold. She’s congested. No fever or anything that I could tell. But she was cranky and wanted to be held a lot.” I sip on the coffee. It’s very good, considering it came out of a home machine. “And while I’m having a morning, you might be in for a rough day.”

He grimaces. “I kinda thought so from the way she was acting last night. It was over-the-top, even for her.”

“Um, I could stay for a few hours. If you want to sleep. I’m sure she’ll be up soon.”

Staring at me, his tongue slips out to wet his lower lip and his brow furrows. “Are you for real, Skylar?”

Oh jeez, here we go again. Was that too much?“I don’t have to, I just thought…” I shrug. “You don’t even have to pay me, so long as I can have more coffee.”

His brows have pinched together so hard that there’s a line running down the center. “You’ll be compensated appropriately for the time you spend here.” He nods. “But I’d totally appreciate it if you’d stay a few hours.”

“It’s no problem. I have a few errands I was going to run, but I can do them later. And of course, I’ll be back tonight.”

“The sniffles aren’t a deal breaker?” Matt arches a brow. “I know it sucks when kids pass their germs.”

“Nope. I’m around germy kids at school all the time.” And I don’t know what possesses me, but I blurt out, “We’re a team now, Matt. I’m not scared of the sniffles.”

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