“I don’t like the idea of you living on your own. Where would you move?”
“Probably to the same complex as Ashley. It’s walking distance from here and from the bar.”
He nods, but his hands are rubbing each other over and over, and I know he’s uncomfortable with me moving out.
“I’ll let you check out the place first, just to be sure you think it’s safe.”
He cocks his head to the side and smiles. “And let me put a guard outside your door?”
I bump him with my shoulder and laugh. “You aren’t losing me. I promise.”
He nods. “Yeah, I know.”
“And it won’t be for a while.”
“Okay.” His arm comes around my shoulder again, and he rests his head against mine. “I’m proud of you, Dee.”
“Why?”
He sighs. “Why? Because of everything. Who you are. How you treat people. The way you’ve handled the bar. Everything.”
“Right back at ya, Wy. What do we do about an accountant?”
He shrugs. “We’ll figure it out. Eventually, the right person will come along. Until then I’m doing the books so there’s no chance of anyone stealing, and Cass is double-checking my work.”
“I haven’t seen her much lately.”
“I know. Your schedules haven’t crossed much, but she was so happy to get the pics you sent of Kenny’s play.” Wyatt pulls out his phone and scrolls through his contacts. He holds up his phone and shows me my contact info. He’s cropped the photo so it’s just me and Ash.
“I love that.” I show him his contact info in my phone and the picture of him and Cassidy.
“You’re a dork.” He laughs.
“Considering we’re twins, that doesn’t say much for you.”
“You gonna be okay next weekend when you go home? Do you want me to come?” Wyatt shakes his head and sends his hair out of his eyes. He hasn’t shaved for a few days, and when he smiles, his scruff darkens around his mouth. He reminds me of my father, and for the first time in months, that doesn’t make me sad.
I sit up straighter and draw in a deep breath. Each day it gets a little easier to breathe.
“No, thanks. I’ll be fine.”
“I always knew you would be.”
Chapter Twenty-One
~Ashley~
SOMETIMES WHEN I wake up with Delilah in my bed, it takes me a few minutes to remember how new our relationship is, because it feels like she’s been beside me forever. I’m keeping a few items of clothing at her place, and she has a handful at mine. Yesterday I bought extra toothbrushes—one for me at her place and another for her here, at my apartment. Delilah’s made similar accommodations without as much as a single word about it. She bought my favorite shampoo and body wash for her place, the lotions I like, and she even set out a little pottery bowl for me to put my earrings in at the end of the day. We’ve moved into this part of the relationship pretty seamlessly, but we’re still navigating the hills and valleys of our public relationship. It’s Thursday again, which means I’ve been up for the past half hour thinking about her group session tonight—and Janessa.
I feel like there’s a hamster gnawing on my stomach. I trust Delilah, and I don’t think I’m feeling jealous, at least not jealousy over her and Janessa getting together or anything like that. I know that she might have coffee with Janessa tonight and she might not invite me, and I’m okay with that. I have no idea what the awful feeling in my stomach is. Maybe it’s another kind of jealousy—jealousy over the time they get to spend together.
Delilah shifts beside me and inhales as she stretches her arms out to her sides. The lingerie top she’s wearing slips off her shoulder as she leans up on one elbow and looks down at me with sleepy eyes.
“Hi,” she says in a groggy voice as she lifts up and settles her hips over mine.
I love that she’s gotten comfortable enough with me to take the initiative in bed. Her green eyes narrow, and I know she’s in a playful mood. She lowers her lips to my shoulder and uses her teeth to move the silk spaghetti strap down my arm, sending a shiver down my spine.
“What time do you have to be at work to do inventory?” Her voice is husky, her breath hot on my skin as she lowers her mouth to my breast and traces circles around my nipple with her tongue.
“Before…” I suck in a breath when she takes my breast into her mouth and cups it with her hand. “Before…Good Lord…” I close my eyes as fire spreads through my limbs. Delilah moves her hips against me as she lavishes my body with attention. She shifts, straddles my thigh.