Page 11 of Make Us Yours
I recognize all of them, all the signs. Turns out, my vixen and I may be a lot more alike than we dare to admit. The difference is, I’m better at hiding them than she is.
NOAH
During dinner, Veronica received two texts, and since she was seated beside me, I caught her peering down at her screen. There was no preview of the messages, and both came from different unsaved numbers. She didn’t open them either; she simply shut her screen and slipped her phone back into her skirt pocket.
Her throat worked, then she rubbed her palms down the length of her thighs before plastering a smile on her face and laughing along with everyone else. She was trying to act as if she had been paying attention to the conversation, but clearlysomething had rattled her.
Everyone is hanging around chatting and drinking. Tomorrow, we only have a late morning training session, so we’re taking advantage of not having to wake up too early. The kids are off playing with their toys in the living room, not being a bother at all. I have to admit, Greyson and Silas are pretty lucky to have such calm children, who are easily occupied, and no change of environment seems to bother them.
I wander into the kitchen and pour myself a heavy glass of scotch, my drink of choice after my weekly visits. I try not to touch the heavy stuff too much, but on days like this, it’s much needed.
“Hey, you.” Cecilia sidles up to my side with a nervous smile.
“What can I do for you, little mama?” I wink.
Her cheeks take on a soft pink tint. “Are you mad at me for the whole Ronnie thing? I know I should have said something beforehand, but I couldn’t tell her, or else she would have refused. And if I told you guys, you would have never been able to keep your mouths shut. Well, I know Gabe wouldn’t have.”
“You’re right about that.” I chuckle from the rim of my glass before taking a sip. “And no, I’m not mad at you. I actually owe you a big thank you. So, whatever you want—new car, expensive purse, diamond earrings—just let me know, it’s yours.”
“What do you think I married the big guy for?” she jokes.
“I heard that, Minnie!” Silas calls out from a few feet away, where he talks with Clay.
“You know that’s not the only reason I married you… what he carries in his pants is.” She lowers her voice slightly at the end, but not enough. I think she may have had a little too much to drink.
“Minnie…” he says again with a warning tone.
She looks over at him, smiling above the rim of her wineglass. “You can punish me later, Big Guy.” She blows him a kiss, then giggles.Yup, definitely one glass too many.Her attention turns back to me, while mine stays glued to the blue and pink-haired goddess sitting alone on the couch.
From this angle, it appears as if she’s watching the kids play. But if you pay close attention, you can see the slight blue reflection on the piercings along her ear, meaning she’s looking at her phone discreetly. Whatever those texts are, she clearly doesn’t want people finding out about them, which only makes my need to know who they’re from stronger.
“So… here’s the thing. I convinced Ronnie to give it a try for a week. But you two are going to have to convince her on your own to stay on board. And maybe try and not trash the whole place every day,” Cecilia whispers.
“I’ve heard some things that I would prefer not to repeat. But if every time she comes over, the place looks like a dump, she’ll quit. So, maybe make a little effort.” She bumps her shoulder into mine—well, tries. That woman is so short that she hits closer to my elbow than my shoulder.
I work my brain to try to figure out what exactly she could be referring to.Yes, the place was filthy, but I didn’t think it was that bad.I finally just nod my head. “We will.”
“Good! I hope it works out. And not just because you guys will finally have a stable housekeeper, but it might also give Ronnie a chance to see that you both aren’t the big perves you pretend to be. That you’re actually pretty freaking great humans.” She winks and walks off to her husband.
I take another sip of my drink, contemplating my next move as I look around at our friends, finding that none seem to have noticed Veronica’s absence. I push off from the wall I was occupying and walk over to the couch.
I stop at her feet and wait. She’s so engrossed with whatever is on her phone that she doesn’t notice my presence. She chews on her lip, hand squeezing her phone so tightly that it looks like it might fold in two.
“Can we talk?” I ask softly.
I think this is a good time to discuss this new situation between us. It’s not like I can call her or anything, since I don’t have her phone number, unlike Gabe, who had to snoop through Emma’s phone to get it.
I know I could ask one of the girls, or even the guys, to give it to me. But I’d rather wait until she hands it over herself, giving her as much control as possible. I have a feeling it’s something that’s important to her. Control.
She jolts in her seat, a quick flash of fear in her eyes before it disappears, and she rights herself. She presses her phone to her chest swiftly to hide the screen from my sight. “I guess we should.” She smiles tightly.
I take a seat next to her, and she doesn’t move away. “Let me guess—you’re here to convince me to keep working for you guys.” Veronica smirks as she puts her phone away.
“That is the plan. I noticed everything you did in our home, and I’m impressed. You’re really talented,” I tell her truthfully.
“I know,” she says with pride.
I chuckle and shake my head. I knew she would say that. “Look, I know we aren’t the cleanest people around, but we’ll try to keep it decent and not overwhelm you. But we really need you; no one else wants to work for us, and we’ve practically beenblacklisted from every cleaning company.”
