Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Just like I loved that we slept in my bed together.
“You good?” Sutton asked after a minute.
“Yep. We gotta get ready and go help Mama, though.” It was always awkward being around my folks now. I was overly cautious, keeping my distance from Sutton, worried every move I made would make them realize we were together. Plus, I didn’t want to hear Dad’s comments about the two of us being too close. That was getting old, and I knew it hurt Sutton, made him not want to be around Dad.
“Yeah, I know.” He kissed me, then rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed, in his underwear. When his phone buzzed, he picked it up and started typing.
“Kendra?” I asked, annoyance making my stomach tighten.
He looked at me and grinned. “Will you stop bein’ jealous? After the way I hightailed it out of her house with nothing more than a text in the middle of the night, and how I’m suddenly not moving out and always with you and spending less time with her, I’m pretty sure she knows we’re together.”
My spine straightened, pinpricks of discomfort poking at the back of my neck. “She knows?” He’d said he wouldn’t tell anyone yet, not even her. I sat up, legs over the opposite side of the mattress from Sutton. Mine were bouncing and my gut twisting. I wasn’t proud of my reaction, but this was all so damn new to me.
Sutton cursed, got up, walked around, and knelt in front of me. “It’s fine, Jasp. She don’t know for sure, but even if she did, she’d be supportive. She would be someone we could be together around, and that might feel kinda good. She would never tell anyone.”
“I’m not ready for anyone to know,” I answered honestly. He’d been trying to get me to talk to Sammy too, but I hadn’t. This was between me and Sutton, and until I had my legs under me, I wasn’t ready to talk about it to anyone but him. “I don’t need to be around anyone but you.” I wrapped my hand along his nape and tugged him closer.
Sutton had a slight amount of stubble that bit at my face in a way I’d grown to love over the past few weeks. I liked those subtle differences, those reminders that this was me and Sutton, and though my head was a fucking mess, we were right together.
I kissed him, licked at the seam of his mouth, and he opened up for me. When we pulled away, he sighed. “Don’t think I don’t know you just did that to change the subject.”
“It’s hard bein’ with someone who knows me so well. I can’t get away with nothin’.”
“I’m pretty sure you get away with everything.” He winked, then headed into the bathroom. I went with him. We took turns pissing, then brushed our teeth, shaved, and got dressed.
Sutton walked across the property with his hands shoved in his pockets.
“I know it’s tough, bein’ around them. I know I get weird. I’m sorry I’m not better at this for you.” I was. I wanted to be like Sammy and claim Sutton the way he deserved, but I couldn’t make myself do it.
“You’re perfect at this. I’m not ready to completely come out either. And it kills me when you say shit like that where I can’t kiss ya or nuzzle your neck the way you like. But I got you, and that’s more than I ever thought I’d have.”
“You’re so sweet on me.” I winked, but really I was wishing I’d said that somewhere we were alone too so Sutton could do just what he said he would.
“Eh. You’ll do,” he teased.
“You guys comin’ or gonna stand there staring at each other all day!” my dad yelled from the porch, and I saw Sutton tense up. It’d be a lie if I said I didn’t do the same. “Your mama’s got breakfast ready!”
“Let’s go,” I said, putting a little more space between us.
We took the porch stairs to my dad, who had his arms crossed in the doorway. “Rain’s comin’ this afternoon. You’re not gonna have time to finish if you don’t stop lollygagging.”
“Yes, sir,” I replied, then went inside.
“Mornin’,” Sutton said behind me.
Mama was making us breakfast since we were cleaning out the rain gutters this morning. The last good rain we had, we realized how full they were when they’d ended up with a waterfall off the side of the house.
I picked a piece of bacon off the plate, and she smacked my hand. “You wait till we sit at the table.”
“I just like your cookin’ so much.”
She grinned. “Stop being a charmer.” Then without turning, she added, “And I know you’re stealin’ bacon behind my back, Sutton Manning. You’re just as bad as he is. Two peas in a pod, or should I say the Terrible Twosome?”