Page 46 of Read With Your Heart

“Did you just take a shower?” Lena asks Tricia, and Tricia reaches for her hair.

“I did, after Leon.”

Lena’s eyes move from Tricia to me and then back to her. Lena nods, but her lips twist into a smirk. She’s onto us, especially after the other night when I was combing my fingers through Tricia’s hair.

“I’ll figure out dinner,” I say. She probably wants some time away from my family. I don’t blame her.

“You’re welcome to join us,” Tricia offers to me. “Adults only.” She glances over at Lena and Lys, giving them an apologetic look.

“Yeah, I’ll pass. I don’t want to intrude on family time.”

“Because you’re so good at it here,” Lena interjects, and I spear her with a glance.

“Oh. Yeah, sure. I understand,” Tricia stammers, but the drop in her voice says she doesn’t. Is she disappointed I won’t go? She already asked me, but is she only being polite after what we did?

Knock it off, Leon.

“I have some papers to grade and want to check email since I left early today.”

“Riiiiight,” Lena drawls. “You had a headache.” She smiles at Tricia while nodding.

“She did,” Lys defends. “You didn’t see her, but it looked like it hurt.”

Lena’s brows crease. “Like Mami’s?”

“Worse,” Lys defends, and I look up at Tricia. Was it that bad? Does this happen often?

“It’s just a migraine. I get them once a month, but I feel better now.” She pauses and hooks a thumb over her shoulder. “So, yeah, going to correct some stuff and then head out. You guys have a good night,” she says as though she won’t see us again for days.

As soon as she leaves the room, I pull my eyes from her ass and meet the eyes of Lys, who’s watching me almost as intensely as Lena.

+ + +

By nine o’clock, I’m coming out of my skin. I miss my nightly beer at the Tavern and knowing Tricia’s up there and not here has me itching to get out of the house. I’m also concerned her ex might pull a surprise visit and rattle her again. I don’t need to know all he did to her to know she’s still spooked by him and for a good reason. I hate that he was on the damn porch peering into the house.

“Just go already,” Lena snaps.

“Go where?” I bark back. She’s sitting on the couch like I am, staring at some show I’m not even watching. An open textbook rests on her lap, and I don’t know how she can study with the commotion of the television. She isn’t studying, though. She’s pretending.

“Go up to the Tavern to be with her,” Lena says, still watching the program.

“It’s not like that,” I defend, and Lena twists her neck to look at me.

“I’m not stupid. She showered after you? Good one.”

“You showered tonight after Lys.”

Lena scrunches her nose. “That is not what happened earlier with you and Ms. Carter, and you know it.”

Oh God, don’t remind me she’s my sister’s teacher.

“It’s not like that,” I repeat although I have no idea what it’s like, and I hate that my observant sister asks me the same question next.

“What’s it like then?”

“Lena,” I warn because I don’t know, and if I did, I would not be telling my seventeen-year-old kid sister.

“You better not be dipping into that just because of proximity.”