Page 22 of Bleeding Hearts

She smiles brightly as she looks at the cup, seeing where it’s from. That smile makes the extra fifteen minutes and six dollars all worth it. I love seeing her smile.

There’s something about a Demi smile that makes you feel like you’re on cloud nine. When it’s directed at you, it’s an instant boost of serotonin. Fuck, the things I’d do for a Demi smile.

“Mmm,” she moans, taking a sip and the sound is a straight shot to my dick.

Demi is by far the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen, and she has no idea. Don’t get me wrong, she’s like a walking hurricane ninety-nine percent of the time, but she’s also really fucking beautiful. Effortlessly so.

She’s also one of the very few women I’ve ever genuinely liked spending time with, so as much as I want her, I want her company even more, which is a first for me.

She’s probably my first female friend that is truly just a friend, and there’s no way that I want to lose that.

“Why do we have to help Lo move this early again?” she whines, grabbing one of the blankets from next to her to cover her bare legs.

I turn my attention back to her dark-blue eyes looking up at me from where I’m squatting down in front of her.

“Ask your brother,” I say, nodding toward where Kade is standing in the kitchen with Lo. “He’s the one that wanted to start this early. I think he thinks it’s going to take longer than it is. Or maybe he just wants to be done early so he can officially christen his and his fiancés new home.”

“Ew, gross. I do not need to hear about my brother’s sex life.” She reaches over, slapping me on the arm.

“Can you bitches quiet down? You’re ruining my beauty sleep.” Theo groans from the couch, a blanket still covering his head.

“Rise and shine, my king. It’s moving time.” Demi tosses a pillow at his head, laughing and then immediately cringing at the sound. “Ouch.”

“I take it all of you are hungover?” I ask, looking at Demi cradling her head in her hands.

“I need drugs,” Theo mumbles, throwing the blanket off him, standing and walking toward the bathroom.

“I think I do too.” Demi looks up to me, her voice barely above a whisper now.

“Come on, honey bunches. Let’s get you some painkillers and food to soak up all that alcohol.” I clasp her small hand in mine, gently pulling her up to stand.

“It’s too early and I’m too hungover for your stupid nickname nonsense,” she mumbles as I drag her into the kitchen.

“Good morning,” Lo says to Demi from where she’s sitting on Kade’s lap on one of the barstools at the kitchen counter.

“How are you so awake? You drank last night too,” Demi complains, going to stand on the other side of the counter across from the two of them.

She sips on her coffee as I walk past her toward the cabinet next to the fridge where they keep their liquor and, coincidently, their painkillers. I grab two from the bottle before putting it back.

“I had two shots with you guys and then I stopped. The three of you kept going for hours.” Lo raises her eyebrow at Demi, sipping on her own coffee.

“I don’t remember that,” she mumbles. She grabs the two painkillers from my hand, throws them in her mouth and swallows them with a sip of her coffee. “Thank you.” She smiles softly up at me.

“Want me to make you something to eat?” I ask her.

“Nope,” she answers immediately.

“Babycakes, we’ve talked about this. I know how to cook. I’m not gonna burn down your kitchen.” I sigh.

Demi has trusted me with a lot since we’ve become friends, but no matter what I do, her kitchen stays firmly off-limits. She doesn’t let anyone cook in here, not even Lo and she’s lived here for the past six years.

To be fair, Lo can’t cook for shit, so I understand that one, but I can, yet she still doesn’t let me touch a thing.

“Babycakes?” Kade looks between the two of us, confused.

“Inside joke,” I say at the same time Demi says, “Don’t even ask.”

“And yes, we have talked about this.” Demi turns her attention back to me. “I don’t care if you can cook. Nobody touches my kitchen. It’s too risky.” She shrugs, and I roll my eyes at her stubbornness.

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