Chapter 28.5-2
Clarn
A round of laughter boomed downstairs, and reality came crashing in. Fuck, fuck fuck. I was in my parent’s house, for fuck’s sake! What the hell was wrong with me?
That’s when I remembered-The scent. Oh god, the scent.
“Oh no, oh no, oh no,” I muttered, pushing him away and jumping out of the bed.
“What’s wrong?” He was looking at me with a worried expression on his face. “Did I hurt you?”
“We smell like sex and each other,” I said, panic rising in my chest. “Everyone downstairs is going to know exactly what we just did.”
I could already imagine Dash’s face, the questions. Mom would probably have words about appropriate behavior under her roof, and Dad might actually kill Kane. Kane, who was smirking up at me like a satisfied little shit.
“Shower,” I said decisively, grabbing Kane’s hand and dragging him toward the small stall. “Now.”
“Simone, no way you-”
I turned on the water and pulled him in with me, clothes and all. I grabbed mine from where they lay on the floor and quickly put them on. The cold spray hit us both, and he yelped in surprise.
“Are you insane?” he sputtered, but he was laughing.
“Probably,” I admitted, grabbing the soap and starting to scrub at both of us frantically, some of his amusement sticking up to me. “But this is the only way to explain why we both smell like water instead of why we smell like we just had sex in my bedroom in the middle of a family dinner.” He helped me soap down our clothes and skin, both of us trying not to laugh too loudly. It was ridiculous and chaotic, and probably the least sexy shower of my life, but it was necessary.
“Your family is going to think we’re both crazy,” he said, rinsing soap from his hair and giving me a quick peck on the lips.
“Stop it!” I grunted, smiling, “And better crazy than knowing what we were actually doing up here.” We managed to clean most of the evidence from ourselves before stepping out, both dripping wet and looking like drowned rats. I grabbed towels, trying to dry us off as much as possible before ripping my bedding and leaving it to soak in a bucket with soapy water.
“Come on,” I said, leading him back toward the bedroom. “We need to go back down before they get suspicious.”
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He followed me, but I could see him taking in the room with curious eyes. When he spotted my
bookshelf, he moved toward it with interest.
“This is where you grew up,” he said, taking in the photos and mementos scattered around.
“Up until twenty, yes,” I confirmed, watching him examine a picture of me and Dash at some long-ago pack gathering.
“You were adorable,” he said, picking up another photo of me missing my front teeth.
“Was?” I said with a pout.
“Are,” he corrected with a wink and a smile that made my heart flutter.
He moved to my bookshelf, running his fingers along the spines. “Romance novels?”
“Don’t judge me.”
“I’m not. I’m trying to figure out what you were dreaming about all those years.”
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The intimacy of him being in my personal space, seeing all the pieces of who I’d been before I met him, was almost overwhelming. This room held so many memories, so many dreams of the future I’d imagined.
“We should get back,” I said reluctantly, wringing water from my shirt.
“In a minute,” he said, still exploring. He picked up a small jewelry box and opened it, smiling at the tinny music that played. “Ballet dancer?”
“For about three months when I was seven. I was terrible at it.”
“I doubt that.”
“Trust me, I have video evidence of my complete lack of grace.”
He closed the music box and turned back to me, his expression growing serious. “Thank you for letting me see this. For letting me know who you were before.”
The tenderness in his voice made my chest tight. “Kane-
“I know we’re taking this slow,” he said, moving back to me. “Well. Actually, it’s still not even confirmed yet. Not until you decide about the second chance. But being here, seeing your life, it makes me want things I probably shouldn’t want yet.”
“What kinds of things?”
“A future. A real one, where I get to wake up next to you every morning and fall asleep holding you every night. Where I get to meet all your friends and family and hear embarrassing stories about
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your childhood. Where I get to be part of your family instead of just a guest they’re being polite to.”
My heart was racing, because everything he was describing sounded perfect and terrifying at the same time. If I was being honest with myself…I wanted that. I wanted it so badly.
“Let’s go,” he said as I tried to fix my damp hair.
We made our way back downstairs together, trying to look casual and innocent despite being completely soaked. But the moment we walked into the dining room, I knew we were in trouble.
“What happened to you two?” Mom asked, half concerned and half amused.
“Pipe burst in the upstairs bathroom,” Kane said smoothly, water still dripping from his hair. “We tried to fix it and got soaked.”
“I’ll call the plumber in the morning,” Dad said, shaking his head. “You both look ridiculous.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I muttered, taking my seat and trying to ignore the water squelching in my shoes.” I’ll have dessert and go back to my place. Need a warm bath and dry clothes.”
Dash was watching us with narrowed eyes, clearly suspicious about our simultaneous disappearance and current drowned-rat appearance. Finn looked amused, probably putting together exactly what we’d been doing upstairs.
“Funny how you both ended up fixing the same pipe,” Dash said casually.
“Funny how you’re being nosy,” I shot back, but I could feel heat rising in my cheeks despite the
cold water.
I really, really needed to start lying better.
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