Ronnie nodded her head towards the back door. I let her lead the way, my head throbbing as I imagined all the horrible things she could potentially be preparing to say. She stepped out on the porch, wrapping her arms protectively around herself. I shut the door behind us and joined her.
"I tried to text you today."
"I know. Sorry for not answering."
"Is everything okay?"
She took a deep breath. "It's time for us to talk, don't you think?"
"Maybe we should sit," I suggested, pointing out the chairs stationed around a fire pit out in the yard.
I offered her a hand to help her down the stairs from the deck, and I was relieved when she took it, holding on even as we moved across the yard. I helped her into her chair before taking the one next to her.
"So you want to talk about—"
"Our future," she rushed to say.
My eyes drifted out over the yard. I was glad she was open to talking about what the future might hold, but I'd assumed we needed to talk about things from the past first. It was obvious there were still things lingering because of the history we'd shared. Why the hell was she still avoiding that topic so thoroughly?
I settled in, figuring the only choice I had was to let her lead. "Okay, what about it?"
"I don't really know what your life looks like during the school year. You have football and classes, obviously. How much free time do you have?"
"I stay busy, but it doesn't stop me from making time for other people." I stretched my legs out far enough that they leaned against hers. "And it certainly isn't going to stop me from making time for you and Stella."
"Good. That's good. I do have a different little concern, though." She stared at something behind me. I turned, but all I saw was the brick exterior of…
"The house," I realized.
She grimaced. "I just keep imagining what this place is like when it's football season. I can't imagine it's a great place for a toddler."
"No, you're right about that." It was something I'd thought about, too. My options were far more limited than I wished they were. "I'll have to think on it, okay?"
"Fair enough."
"So, we're what? Co-parenting?"
"Well, I was sort of hoping it might be turning into more than that." Even in the dim light of night falling over us, I could see the way her cheeks flushed.
"What sort of more?" I couldn't help my grin. Her words felt like progress.
"I know we haven't really labeled what we've been doing the past two weeks, but we've definitely gotten close again very quickly. I'm hoping maybe that means we're… dating?"
"I'd like that."
Ronnie rose from her chair and sauntered over to me. I held her hips as she lowered herself into my lap. Her face tilted towards mine and I placed a chaste kiss on her lips. She returned it with one of her own.
"What about the other stuff we still need to talk about, Ronnie?"
She didn't want to answer me. That much was clear as her lips found mine again, deepening the kiss that time. We stayed glued together like that for a long while. When the sound of crickets started to fill the air around us, we finally went back to join the others inside.
"Everything good?" Wren asked later when Ronnie left to take Stella to the bathroom.
"I'm not sure, to be honest." I couldn't shake the feeling that something was still off, despite the fact that Ronnie had been so open to considering our future together.
"Carter and I leave again tomorrow. Will everything be okay here?"
There was no doubt in my mind that if I asked, Wren and Carter would postpone the rest of their trip. That wasn't something I would do. I offered her my most reassuring smile.
"You're only a phone call away if I need you."
"Always." Wren squeezed my bicep in a friendly gesture. "I think the two of you will figure it out. After all, Carter and I did."
"And you two are solid?"
"Perfect. Everything between us is perfect." She glanced fondly at the man who'd fallen asleep hunched over on the couch. "I can't wait to double-date in the fall." Her eyebrows danced suggestively.
I laughed at her enthusiasm. She'd spent the entire second semester trying to find me a suitable girlfriend for double-dating. She hadn't gotten far, obviously.
Ronnie showing up was like her dream come true. Especially since Ronnie was being much friendlier the second time around. I wasn't sure what had gotten into her, but she'd been much more open to Wren and Carter while we'd finished the G-rated movie. It couldn't have hurt that Stella was quite taken with Wren and had spent the length of the movie perched in her lap.
"Hey," Ronnie lightly called out, appearing at the end of the hallway. "I think someone had a little too much excitement."
Stella was nestled against her with her head on Ronnie's shoulder. She didn't move at all. The kid was knocked.
I moved to her side so that I could gently take Stella from her arms. "You probably ought to get her home, that way Stella can sleep in her own bed." I'd considering offering to put Stella up in one of the empty rooms for the night, but the idea of her sleeping in one of those beds had bothered me. Most of my teammates were nasty as hell. Even changing the sheets wouldn't have convinced me those beds were clean.
"Could you maybe drive us? I can always come back and get my car tomorrow, but I'm really too tired to be driving."
"Of course I will."
Ronnie said goodbye to Wren and Carter—and I followed suit. The two of them were leaving early in the morning to have breakfast with Wren's father, and then he was taking them back to the airport from there. I didn't anticipate seeing them again before they left.
The ride to take Ronnie home was quiet. She stayed awake, and her hand was in mine, but her eyes stayed on the darkness outside the car window. Soft music played in the background, acting like a lullaby as Stella drifted back to sleep in the car seat we'd moved from Ronnie's car to mine.
"Do you need me to help you get inside?" I asked as we pulled into the driveway a short drive later.
"Yes, please. Can you grab Stella?"
I did as she asked, struggling to figure out how to unhook the contraption until Stella woke, sighing and pointing at the buckle I'd missed. I chuckled quietly to myself.
"Love you, sweet girl. Go back to bed," I urged her as I finally carted her up into my arms.
Ronnie turned to me at the front door. "I'm pretty sure Gabby and Vinnie are both asleep, so just be quiet, okay?"
"Sure thing."
I followed her quietly into the house, careful not to make too much noise as I padded across the hardwood floors. I stayed close to Ronnie, following her path through the house lit only by the moonlight streaming in through the windows. When we reached Stella's room, I laid her on the bed with a kiss on the cheek. Ronnie tucked her in and kissed her in the same spot I had.
Following Ronnie back out of the room, I prepared to say goodbye. There wasn't a single part of me that was prepared when she grabbed my hand and led me to her bedroom.
"Is this a good idea?" I asked, my eyes nervously darting in the opposite direction as if Vinnie might materialize from thin air.
"I certainly don't think it's a bad one," she countered.
I let myself be pulled into the room and towards the bed. The blinds to her windows were wide open, feeding plenty of light into the room from the streetlights outside. My jaw tightened with the effort it took not to reach for her as she began to undress in front of me.
"Come to bed, Travis." She climbed on top of the mattress and beckoned for me to join her. My mouth was entirely too dry from the sight of her.
I would never get sick of seeing her like that, beautiful and wild, waiting for me to join her.
Veronica
The morning sun glared right at my face, waking me up long before I was ready. Normally I closed the blinds before bed, but I'd been a little… distracted the night before. I flipped my head on the pillow so that I could stare at Travis. It wa
s the second time we'd slept in the same bed together. We'd never been able to do that as teenagers, considering we were both still in high school and living with our parents. There'd been nights when we fell asleep together at parties, but that usually meant sleeping on the floor in the corner of whichever room was the least crowded. One time, we'd fallen asleep smooshed together in a hammock.
I sat up in the bed and yawned. The sound of stainless steel clanking together drifted down the hall. Per usual, Gabby had risen early to fix breakfast. Why on earth had I ever dislike the woman?
Leaving Travis in bed, I shuffled to the dresser for pajamas. The llama pattern on the shorts and tank top was by far not the sexiest I owned, but the cotton was comfortable against my sore body. I'd gone a long time without sex before Travis had come along again. It was definitely taking a toll on me physically.
"Morning," I chirped from the hallway.
"Good morning," two voices returned.
My stomach sank as I turned the corner to the kitchen. I'd assumed Vinnie would already be gone like normal. Too late, I realized that Travis' car was still parked out front. There was no way Vinnie would leave knowing Travis was in the house.
The glare I'd expected didn't greet me. Vinnie's face was buried in the newspaper he was clutching. His other hand was wrapped around his mug of morning coffee.
He glanced up after I'd stood there staring at him for a long moment. "How are you this morning?"
"Travis is in my bedroom," I blurted out.
Vinnie's fingers tightened around his mug. He shuddered before saying, "Okay."
"Okay? You're not gonna freak out on me again?"
I watched as he made eye contact with Gabby. Her eyes narrowed at him. Apparently, she hadn't been kidding when she'd offered to smooth the waters with him. Whatever she'd said to him, she'd gotten through in a way I hadn't been able to.
"Everything is fine, Veronica. Stop being dramatic."
I had to swallow down the urge to remind him that he was the one that had been dramatic about the whole thing. Instead, I forced my feet to carry me past him and to the coffee maker. I took a giant whiff of the dark roast coffee that was Gabby's favorite.
"Feel free to actually drink a cup instead of digesting through osmosis," she joked.
I laughed breezily. I liked smelling coffee more than I liked drinking it. "Do you need any help with anything?" I asked.
"Not in here, no. Maybe you could look for Stella though?"
"Hiding again?" I guessed.
"Wherever her spot is this time, it's a good one. She vanished like a full half-hour ago," Vinnie chimed in.
Sighing, I abandoned my aromatic post. Hide-and-seek with Stella was pretty hit or miss. Sometimes, we found her almost immediately. On a few occasions, we'd spent hours begging her to come out before finally stumbling across whatever obscure hiding spot she'd chosen. It wasn't exactly how I'd planned to spend my day off, that was for sure.
"Stelly-Belly, where are youuu?" I sang as I searched the house.
I managed to clear the main living area fairly easily since the furniture was minimal. That left very few hiding spots large enough for a toddler to squeeze into. I was checking the cabinet next to the dryer in the laundry room when Travis startled me.
"What are you doing?"
I looked up at him from where I was down on my hands and knees. His short hair was sticking out all over the place. He looked adorable after just waking up.
"I'm looking for Stella."
His face transformed into a look of horror. "Is she missing?"
"Not exactly." I stood up and brushed the imaginary dirt off my knees. "She has a penchant for surprise rounds of hide-and-seek."
"So, she's just hiding?"
"Yep. Very well, apparently. Vinnie already gave up looking for her. He's a bit of a spoilsport about the game, sometimes."
Travis stalked towards me, trapping me against the cool metal of the washing machine. He put an arm around either side of me, trapping me against him. Not that I was complaining.
"Does your brother know I stayed over?"
"Yup."
Travis pressed his lips against the edge of my jaw.
"Is he mad?"
"I'm sure he is, but he's pretending he's not."
His lips pressed against the bare part of my shoulder, the strap of my tank getting pushed off my shoulder in the process.
"Why's that?"
"Gabby talked to him. I don't know what she said exactly, but she got him to back off. I think he's trying to grudgingly accept that this is happening."
Travis' hands snuck up under the hem of my shirt, wandering leisurely over the skin of my flat abdomen. My breath hitched when his hands explored higher, brushing against the undersides of my breasts. I hadn't bothered to put a bra on under the childish pajama set.
"That was nice of Gabby."
His lips dropped down on my collarbone at the exact same moment his hands moved up to fully cup the weight of my breasts.
"I don't want to talk about Gabby right now," I groaned.
As if saying her name three times had summoned her, Gabby's voice rang out. "Veronica, did you find her?"
"Not yet," I called back in a strangled voice.
Travis chuckled next to my ear, his breath tickling the sensitive spot just below that. I shoved him away hard, and just in time. Gabby appeared in the open doorway. She took stock of my flushed skin and the way Travis distinctly turned the lower half of his body away from her.
"Oh. Uh—Uh, sorry," she stuttered out. She was already backing away. Smirking, she said, "But just in case the two of you were wondering, that washing machine is the perfect height for all sorts of things."
"Gross," I squealed, quickly moving away from the machine altogether. Thinking about my brother doing the deed was nasty as hell.
"Guess that ruined the mood, huh?" Travis looked more upset than amused by the interruption. "We should find probably find Stella. Otherwise, your brother might be the next one to come checking on us."
That got my ass moving. I tried to explain to Travis that splitting up would be the most time efficient, but he insisted on hovering behind me in every room I checked. By the third room, I was getting frustrated. I glared at him.
"Why aren't you helping?"
"Me? Oh, because I already know where Stella is."
I dropped the shower curtain I'd been checking behind. "Are you kidding me?"
"You're cute when you're mad." He grinned and dropped a kiss on my nose.
"Why the hell did you let me keep looking if you knew where she was already?"
His grin widened. "You were bending over a whole lot. I figured I'd take my time to enjoy the view first before I spilled the beans."
"You're so annoying." I smiled, though, in spite of myself. "Where is she?"
"You must have left the door cracked when you left the room this morning. She came crawling up into the bed with me. Luckily, I'd put my boxers back on when I got up to go the bathroom in the middle of the night." He tugged me by the hand towards my bedroom door. Gently, he nudged it open, revealing Stella had fallen back asleep in the middle of my bed.
Her blonde curls fanned out over the dark purple sheets, making her look like something out of a fairytale. Travis' arms wrapped around my midsection as he came to rest behind me. I let myself lean back into his warmth.
"You did good with her," Travis complimented me.
I tilted my head so that I could make eye contact with him. "You did good with you."
Travis
I should have suspected something was up when Laurel mentioned she had a surprise for me.
I was on campus preparing for yet another hour of flaunting my body in front of artists desperate to capture my image on paper. Apparently, I hadn't been doing too shabby of a job. The dean had approached me about potentially modeling some during the regular school year. I'd posed for several different professors' classes. It seemed they'd reached a consensus that I was the least sq
uirmy model they'd ever had. The dean had been forced to explain to me that yes, that truly was a high compliment in the world of figure-drawing.
I'd said I'd consider it, but I really had every intention of saying yes. The money was surprisingly good for such an unintrusive job. I wouldn't be turning into a millionaire overnight, but I'd managed to stash away a decent savings over the first half of the summer.
I was still trying to figure out how to approach Ronnie about the elephant in the room—money concerns. Obviously, Gabby and Vinnie seemed to be helping her quite a bit. Just because Ronnie wasn't struggling didn't mean it wasn't still my duty to help out.
"You're gonna be late," Laurel taunted.
I'd gotten sidetracked by my thoughts, though to the casual observer it probably looked like I'd been staring at the detailed penis drawing posted on the wall in front of me.
Awesome.
"I'm going, I'm going."
The storage closet I changed in was open and waiting for me as I darted down the hallway. I posed for several different classes, but always in the same classroom. There was something nice about the familiarity. Out of my clothes and draped in my robe, I strutted out into the room. I almost tripped over myself.
Sitting front and center—was Ronnie.
A wide, teasing grin was plastered on her amused face. I tried my best to seem unaffected.
Ronnie had been quite the artist once upon a time, and I was surprised I'd forgotten about that. She's always had a habit of trying to act like it wasn't a big deal. I could still remember the way she bit down on her bottom lip when she was concentrating on a particularly difficult brushstroke.
"You may have a seat, Mr. Olson," the professor instructed with impatience.
My eyes stayed on Ronnie as I dumped the robe at my feet. Without ever looking away, I plopped into the chair that had been set up for me in front of the semi-circle of art students. I'd learned early on that comfort mattered more than posture.
"And begin," the professor instructed.
I didn't know the man's name, but I'd more or less figured out that the guy was a hard-ass. He didn't play around even with the students in introductory classes, and he rarely gave a compliment even in the upper-level classes. I had no idea how Ronnie had managed to earn a spot sitting in on the class—and with a front row seat, no less.
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