Page 130

“Your accountability room is booked. I guess the only option is for us to go to bed.”

“There’s the couch,” I offered.

Vera rolled her neck and narrowed her eyes at me. I prepared myself for an earful.

“Hartford Samuel Myers, you must still be high to suggest that I sleep on the couch. I get that you’re upset and trying to get your get back, but this is not—”

Vera’s rant was cut off by a guttural moan that came from the guest room. We immediately relocated to the bedroom, leaving the three of them to their late-night activities. Eventually, I climbed into bed with Vera, laced my fingers on my stomach, and stared at the ceiling.

“They’re gonna tear that bedroom up, huh?”

Vera snorted. “Most likely.”

“I’m charging them a cleaning service.”

“As you should.”

I rolled my head toward her and stared at her in the muted darkness. “Tonight… you got a free pass, but if you intentionally try to make me jealous again, then we’ll be having a different conversation.”

She nodded in the darkness. “I hear you, Hart.”

“Good.”

Despite the slight annoyance that still lingered, I pulled Vera on top of me. Because no matter how upset I was with her, I still craved every part of her.

Nasty Work

Vera

I woke up hungover, drenched in sweat, and crushed into the mattress. Honestly, I should’ve just slept on the couch like Hart suggested. Maybe then I wouldn’t be fighting for my life in this bed.

“Don’t move,” Hart said hoarsely when I began wriggling out from under him.

“I can’t breathe.”

“You wouldn’t be able to talk if you couldn’t breathe. Be still. We’re cuddling.”

“No. We’re not cuddling. You’re crushing me. There’s a difference.”

“You owe me,” he said, still arguing with me without even cracking his eyes open.

“You’re late for practice,” I lied.

Hart flipped over and reached for his phone on the nightstand while I slithered away. I almost made it when Hart grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked me back into bed.

“Get out of bed again, and I’ll start deducting funds from your shopping trip in $1,000 increments.”

Say less.

I didn’t push my luck and resigned to being Hart’s body pillow. It was the least I could do, considering how upset I had made him the night before.

“You gonna miss me?” he asked suddenly.

I rolled in his arms and pressed my face into his neck. “You know I will,” I mumbled. “But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little relieved.”

“Relieved, huh?” he said, sounding more than mildly offended.

“I’m not behind in my schoolwork per se, but I’m not ahead either. With you gone, I’ll be able to play catch-up.”