Page 28 of The Lies You Love
She clears her throat. “Nothing. It’s fine.”
“Nothing is fine if a woman says it’s fine.”
She huffs and launches herself into my arms, her body hot against my skin. “A shower is a very couple-like thing. A shower together,” she amends. “And the last time I did it, I was in a couple. That’s all.”
Him again. That fucking bastard. I’ll relish taking everything that once only belonged to him. He didn’t cherish her the way he should have. “Let’s banish him for good then and have a shower with a side of orgasms.”
Her laugh is genuine. “I need a break. Well, I don’t, but she does.” Auden gestures to her crotch. “If we have any hope of lasting all night again.”
I catch myself frowning. “You know it doesn’t have to be all about sex. I thought you wanted it.”
“I do want it,” she’s quick to reply. “Glad to know that, though.”
“Fucking you is second to none, Auden. I will want to fuck you every chance I get. If I’m breathing, I’ll want to fuck you. You’ll have to be the one to ration it so we can have lives.”
Her lips turn down in the corner. “Next month, you’ll have your life back. Might as well get it in while we can.”
My stomach falls, and my nerves frazzle as I think of the circumstances we’re in. Auden turns and heads to the bathroom. I hear the water crank on, and her cell phone chimes from her purse. I know I shouldn’t look, that it doesn’t matter, but I need to know. It’s sitting right on top and the message is from Ramsey, as I suspected. It’s a short text inviting her to a bonfire tomorrow night. It’s outside of the city by several miles, on the property of some multi-millionaire. My first thought is there is no way Auden is going by herself, then second, unfortunately is that Ramsey might know people there from her former life and it’s not safe. Because the thoughts came in that order, I curse and slam the phone back into her bag.
Trudging into the bathroom, I exhale noisily. Auden peeks her wet head out from behind the shower curtain. “You okay?”
I offer a small smile. “I am.” I am a mess, but I leave off the end. “Room for me in there?”
“Barely,” Auden replies, winking, her hair soapy and piled on top of her head.
I step in and clean myself as she shuffles back and forth into the hot water. I give her more time when she rinses conditioner out of her hair. My face must be a mask of questions because she kisses me square on the chest and steps out of the shower after she’s finished. No sex. No play. Nothing. To make myself feel better about not thinking of Ramsey’s safety first, I validate myself by rationalizing that I’m with Auden, I’m off work. I’m not in the Charge Man mode right now. Of course, I’d think of the woman I’m obsessing over first instead of my Principal. Right? I feel sick to my stomach as I turn off the water and towel myself off. I tie the towel around my waist and go to find Auden. She’s in the hallway wearing one of my flannel shirts halfway buttoned, holding her phone. She holds it up to me.
“Did you touch my phone?”
She says it nicely, but there’s no way there isn’t accusation laced in there because phones are so personal these days. They hold people’s entire worlds and their most personal information. I swallow hard and stay silent because she’s staring at me. My poker face must suck.
“There’s melon popsicle on it, Beck.” She shakes the phone side to side.
“Someone texted you,” I explain. “I wanted to know what time it was.”
“Where was your phone?”
“In my jeans pocket on the floor somewhere,” I counter honestly. “Yours was going off, and I really did want to know what time it was.”
She looks down at it as she rounds the island to wet a paper towel to get the sticky off it. She places it in the breast pocket of the shirt and moves over to the island with the paper towel, and begins wiping it. “I’m not talking to anyone else,” she says, guessing all fucking wrong. “I’ve been honest with you. This is new and all, but trust comes first.”
“Auden,” I say, lowering my voice. “It was a knee-jerk reaction. I’m sorry.”
Her gaze locks with mine. “It’s fine. So do you want to go to the bonfire with me tomorrow night? You saw the text, might as well give me the green light for a date.” She continues her wiping except she now has more paper towels and a bottle of cleaner. “Ramsey is going with Griffin.” Oh fuck. The thought of a double date makes my head swim. Too close. This is a lot. But I can’t let Auden go there by herself.
“Sure,” I say.
“Wow, you don’t sound excited. You don’t have to go. We can take a night off. Figured I’d ask so you know I’m not hiding anything or anyone from you. I can go by myself.”
I ruffle my hand through my wet hair and am pleased when that, paired with my body seems to distract her. “It’s not like that.”
“What’s it like?” she asks. “Some rules about you not being able to party?”
I raise one brow. “Please. Auden, drinking spiked fruit punch in the woods isn’t my idea of a party or a good time,” I say, holding up a finger. “But being with you is, which is why I said sure. Anywhere you are, I want to be.” I feel like an idiot with the JV move of touching her goddamn phone. I walk over to her. “Listen, I’m sorry I touched your phone.”
“You went into my purse to touch my phone,” she points out.
I sigh. “I’m sorry.”
