Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“Although…” Lilah lifts her tea with a knowing smile. “He did watch Nora last week.”
“That’s still a pretty big leap,” Sloane says, arching a brow. “From babysitting duty to living under the same roof.”
With a shrug, I try playing it cool as the corners of my mouth twitch. “You didn’t black out. And if you did, blame Oliver. Not me.”
Rina groans as her head falls back. “The only O word I want to talk about is orgasm. Not Oliver.”
Sloane perks up like she’s been waiting for this exact moment. “Any chance we’ll get to hear those two words used in the same sentence?”
Rina flings a napkin at her, but the flush climbing her cheeks gives her away.
Lilah grins and shifts in her seat, one hand resting lightly on her growing baby bump. “Now that’s definitely a situation we need to circle back to. But right now, I want to hear all about how this whole surprise-roommate thing happened with River.”
I let out a sigh as my brain tumbles back to the weekend. “My landlord taped a notice to my door that the rent would be going up five hundred dollars.”
Lilah’s eyes widen. “Five hundred? That’s—”
“Insanity,” I finish for her. “With everything else going on, there’s no way I can swing it.”
“And River just offered up his home?” Surprise crosses Sloane’s face “Like, here’s a spare bedroom and built-in support system, no strings attached?”
I nod slowly, omitting the part about sharing his bed. “Yeah. He said he had space. That it wasn’t an issue for Nora and me to stay with him until I figured out my next move.”
There’s a pause and then Lilah lets out a quiet laugh. “Yeah, if you remember correctly, I got the same speech.” She rubs her stomach with a smile so tender it tugs at something deep in my chest. “Now look at me.”
Rina nudges her with a grin. “You’ve never looked more content or happy. So we all know that man is doing something right.”
“I am happy,” Lilah says dreamily. “Settled in a way I didn’t think was possible. It didn’t all happen overnight, but moving in with Steele was the beginning. That’s when everything started to shift between us.”
“You deserve it, babe,” Rina says, giving her hand a squeeze. “Steele adores you. Relationship goals right there.”
I take a long sip of coffee, hoping they’ll stay focused on Lilah’s fairytale romance for just a little longer.
No such luck.
I feel the moment the attention boomerangs back to me.
Three sets of eyes. Zero escape routes. Each one of them is looking at me like they’ve got follow-up questions locked and loaded.
Sloane points her cruller at me. “Okay, explain why you walked in here glowing. Not pregnancy glowing,” she adds. “But something definitely happened. And I, for one, need the details. I think we all know that my love life’s been DOA since… honestly, I don’t even want to slap a date on it. So, make me happy and just spill.”
Even though we’re the only ones here, I glance around the bakery before leaning in. “He gave me an orgasm last night.”
For the second time this morning, three jaws drop in perfect unison.
Sloane nearly drops her cruller.
Again.
“Wait, what? You slept with him?” Sloane nearly shouts.
“No!” I say quickly, hands flying up. “But he”–I widen my eyes and nod my head—
“you know.”
Lilah stares at me wide-eyed. “I was not expecting that. But just to be clear, I love that for you.”
With a grin, Rina leans forward. “It’s about time someone worthy of you stepped up to the plate.”
Sloane exhales dramatically. “God, I’m totally jealous. I mean, the only thing I’ve been doing in bed lately is cuddling up with my heated blanket and binge-watching murder podcasts. If anyone needs help disposing of a body, I’m your girl.”
That gets a round of giggles, but then Lilah’s expression grows serious, and I know what’s coming next. “So, how do you feel about everything?”
The laughter fades, and the truth slips out. “I’m not sure.”
I pick at the edge of my napkin, trying to find the right words. “River is turning out to be different than I expected. And he’s amazing with Nora.” The fear that’s been simmering beneath the surface rises, and before I can stop it, I blurt, “I can’t afford to get hurt again.”
Silence stretches across the table. It’s not awkward, just real. Like they all get it. Like they’ve all stood in the same place, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“It’s not just the sex, or I guess I should say, the non-sex,” I murmur. “It’s the way he looks at me. Almost like he sees me, along with all my baggage, and it doesn’t make him want to run for his life.”
Rina reaches across the table and lays her hand over mine. “That’s how it’s supposed to feel, babe. That’s exactly what it looks like when a real man shows up.”