Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
It was nice.
She stirred thirty minutes later, taking a deep breath when she came to. She turned her neck to look up at me, her eyes tired like she wanted to keep sleeping. “Sorry…”
“It’s alright.” I pressed a kiss to her temple.
She turned to face me, her little body still wrapped in my arms. “You’re comfortable.”
“Yeah?”
“And warm.”
“Good thing, since the fire went out.”
With sleepy eyes, she looked at me, looked at me like she didn’t want to stop. “I’d invite you to sleep over, but…”
“But what?”
“You know…”
My eyes flicked back and forth between hers. “I’m fine just sleeping with you, baby.”
“Yeah?”
“I’d much rather sleep here with you than alone in my apartment…missing you.”
After a half smile, we locked up the house and went upstairs to her bedroom. She washed her face in the bathroom before she joined me under the covers, snuggling into my body just the way she had on the couch.
We were locked together, her leg over my hip, the two of us sharing a single pillow. She was just in a t-shirt and her panties, and it was hard to keep myself limp so I wouldn’t jab her all night long.
“Have you talked to Grave?” she asked out of nowhere.
“No. Why?”
“He broke up with Elise.”
“Why?”
“She said she loved him.”
“Oh.”
“I tried to talk some sense into him, but it didn’t work. Maybe you’ll have better luck.”
“He listens to you more than he listens to me.”
“I think he values your opinion a lot more than you realize…”
Grave was already at the bar when I arrived.
He seemed to be on his second or third drink.
“Bad day?” I sat on the stool beside him.
“You could say that.”
I tapped my fingers on the surface and ordered a round. “What happened?”
“Good old-fashioned bullshit.”
“I heard about Elise.”
When he got another glass, he downed it quickly. “Guess that means you’re spending time with Camille.”
“I slept over the other night.”
“Good for you.”
“It’s not that good. She wants to take it slow.”
He turned to look at me. “You should be grateful she wants to take anything at all with you.”
“Trust me, I am. And I know what you’re doing.”
His stare deepened.
“Deflecting me from Elise.”
He hit his glass on the table. “You want to talk about it? Fine. Let’s talk about it.”
“For starters, you look like shit.”
“Your face is about to look like shit if you keep it up.”
“You look miserable.”
“That’s just how my face looks.”
“No, it’s not. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
He finished his glass then ordered another. “I’m guessing Camille gave you the rundown.”
“Yeah.”
“You told me yourself you were jealous that I had a relationship with a woman who vehemently didn’t want anything more. No strings. No commitment. No bullshit. Well, she pulled the bait-and-switch on me…”
“It sounds like she fell in love.”
“She told me that would never happen.”
“I didn’t think I’d fall for my brother’s lover, but here we are.”
He looked at me, his eyes cold and guarded.
“You’re being hypocritical, you know that?”
“How?”
“You broke the rules too. She just has the balls to admit it.”
He slid his glass closer to him. “I’m this close to smashing this over your head.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Instead of cracking my skull, he chose to take a drink.
“Have you learned nothing from my mistakes?”
“She has kids, Cauldron. Don’t pretend nothing would be different with Camille if she had children.”
“Yeah, it would be different. But I think I would at least try.”
He stared into his glass. “I’m done talking about this.”
I let the matter drop. “Just don’t drag your feet too long…”
“My boys.” Our father entered the bar, gripping each one of us by the shoulder. “The three of us together…a dream come true.” He patted the backs of our heads before he moved to the hostess stand. “Let’s eat.”
Grave was quiet throughout dinner. Didn’t seem like he was even paying attention to anything Father said. His mind probably on Elise or thinking about everything I’d said. The only man I’d met more stubborn than myself was Grave. The guy could be a goddamn mule.
“Everything alright?” Father asked when he noticed.
Grave slowly returned to the conversation. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Isn’t that always the case?” Father asked.
“Now it’s more than usual.” He left his chair and buttoned the front of his jacket. “Excuse me.” He crossed the restaurant and headed to the restrooms.
Father turned his gaze on me. “Your brother seems worse, but you seem better. Quite the switch.”
After hitting rock bottom, I found it made me eerily calm. “He’s going through a hard time.”
“Anything I should be worried about?”
“Just a woman.”
“Ah, I see.” He drummed his fingers lightly on the table. “How are things with Camille?”
“Rocky. But improving.”
“She wants a ring, and you won’t give it to her,” he said before he took a drink of his wine.
“The opposite. I fucked up, and she’s struggling to forgive me.”