Page 131 of What We Break
I laugh and swat his chest. "That's disgusting."
"Worth it." Reid pulls me closer and kisses me, slow and sweet. When we break apart, he rests his forehead against mine. "I love you."
The words still make my heart skip, and I hope that never goes away. "I love you too."
We lie there for a few more minutes, just holding each other, but eventually I start to smell coffee drifting up from the kitchen.
The sound of the front door closing echoes up from downstairs.
"Blake's heading out early," Reid says, glancing toward the window. "Probably going to pick up supplies."
Perfect. Coast is clear.
"I'll go grab us some coffee," I say, already heading for the door. "Be right back."
"You're amazing," Reid calls after me.
I slip into Reid's discarded t-shirt from last night, the fabric soft and smelling like him. It hits me mid-thigh, long enough to be decent since Blake's gone for the day. I pad downstairs barefoot, looking forward to bringing Reid coffee in bed and maybe crawling back under the covers with him.
Definitely crawling back under the covers.
But when I round the corner into the kitchen, Blake is still there, standing at the counter with his back to me.
My stomach drops. Crap, I thought I heard him leave. Maybe it was just the workshop door, or maybe I misheard completely.
He looks rough. Rougher than usual. His clothes are wrinkled like he slept in them, his hair disheveled, dark circles under his eyes. There's something different about him this morning, something that makes unease prickle along my spine.
Blake turns around, and when he sees me his eyes widen for just a second before his expression goes carefully neutral. I'm suddenly very aware of how little I'm wearing, how the shirt barely covers my thighs.
"Shoot." This is a huge mistake. Why the heck didn't I put pants on. "Morning," I say, wishing I could disappear into the floor.
Blake's gaze flickers down and back up again before he looks away completely. "Morning," he says, his voice low and tight.
I'm tempted to just turn and run back upstairs, and avoid all this awkward. But then I'll have to explain to Reid why I didn't come backwith coffee. So pulling up my non-existent panties, I step closer to get coffee.
That's when I smell it. Under the sawdust and his usual soap, another scent is clinging to his clothes. Something floral. Feminine. Definitely not familiar.
Perfume. Another woman's perfume.
Blake was with someone last night. While Reid and I were upstairs, Blake was with another woman.
Why does that idea make my skin crawl?
Who he spends his time with is none of my business. He has every right to spend time with a woman. In fact, it's a good thing. He deserves someone to love.
Blake's watching me. He catches the moment I register the perfume, catches whatever crosses my face before I can smooth it away.
"I'm sorry," I say, too fast, already backpedaling. "For coming down here like this. I thought you'd left for the day, but I should have gotten dressed anyway."
Blake's jaw tightens. "Right. Of course."
I reach for the coffee pot. My hands aren't quite steady, and I focus on pouring like it's a task that requires my full attention. "So you were out last night?" I keep my voice light. Breezy. The kind of breezy that fools no one.
Blake lets out a short laugh. "Something like that."
The way he says it lands somewhere behind my ribs and stays there.
"Are you... seeing someone?" The words are out before I can stop them. This is none of my business. But I want to know. I need to know.
