Page 15

“Get a fucking grip,” she muttered softly, chastising herself. Then, she did what she always did when her head was spinning, her thoughts running too fast to follow. She reached for her sketchbook.

The soft scratch of charcoal on paper was comforting. Her hands moved instinctively as she let her mind wander and settle. Lines appeared before she even decided what she was going to draw and slowly, a figure took shape. Her eyes took in the curve of a broad shoulder and the shadows around a chiseled chin. When a face appeared—with defined dimples and a smile that could win pageants—she stopped.

She closed the book and set it aside with a sigh. Aiden was her roommate now. This was a temporary arrangement because she needed help, and he needed a place to stay. Hell, they weren’t even friends. At least, they’d never had a conversation about being closer than mere acquaintances. And her trying to push anything, not that she would of course, would be akin to taking advantage of someone who was down on their luck.

A knock on the doorframe caught her attention. When she looked up, she swore internally.

It’s like he can hear me drooling over him.

Aiden stood there with a small smile on his face. “Hey,” he said softly. “Didn’t mean to scare you or anything. I just wanted to check and see if it’s alright if I grab a shower before I head to the shop.”

Janae blinked slowly as the words sank in. She realized he was asking for permission, and she rushed to reassure him. “Oh, of course. You don’t have to ask me for permission,” she added quickly. “I want you to treat this like the space is yours too. Please.”

Aiden’s smile was brilliant, even though it was still hesitant. “If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

He nodded. “Okay. Thanks.” He gave her a cute little wave before disappearing back down the hall.

Janae waited until she heard the water running before she exhaled. She opened her book to try sketching again, but instead she found herself sitting there, listening to the hum of pipes as the water ran and the faint thump of footsteps as he moved. When her phone rang, she stared at it for a moment before picking it up.

“It’s too early for you to be calling me already.”

“Well, good morning to you too, sis,” Braeden said. Janae could hear the laughter in her voice. “You sound distracted.”

Janae snorted. Distracted wasn’t exactly how she would have put it, but she didn’t feel the need to correct her. “I’m trying to sketch something. What do you want?”

“Wow. Such a warm welcome for your favorite sibling,” Braeden replied.

“You’re my only sibling.”

“Technicalities. I was checking in on you. You’ve been weirdly calm since the fire forced you to move into your barely built house. I’m starting to wonder if there’s a reason.”

Damn it. She didn’t need her sister sticking her nose into her business. “I’m not calm,” she insisted, trying to shift the conversation. “There’s just no point in being all stressed out about something I can’t change.”

“Please. You get stressed out when you break a pencil tip,” Braeden pointed out. “You’re hiding something, and I will find out what it is. So you might as well come clean with it now.”

Janae sighed. “I’m fine, Brae. Really. I have things handled now.”

“Handled how? Did you buy a new house that’s actually completed?”

“No,” she replied before hesitating. She wanted to keep Aiden hidden away, but Braeden was relentless, and she wouldn’t put it past her to hire someone to spy on her. “Just . . . I found someone to help with repairs for the house. That’s all.”

“Someone?” Braeden’s tone sharpened with interest. “Who is this someone? Are they a different contractor?”

Janae pinched the bridge of her nose. “A guy from town who I know through a coworker. He’s just fixing some of the most pressing stuff in exchange for a place to stay. He was affected by the fire too and didn’t want to have to move an hour away just to find a room.”

There was a pause on the line. If she hadn’t heard her sister breathing, she would have thought the call had been dropped.

“You what?” Janae winced at the sharp tone. “You invited some random man to live in your house while you’re there alone?”

When Braeden said it like that, it didn’t sound great. But Janae knew what she was doing, and she trusted her friends to not put her in a terrible situation. “It’s not like that,” she insisted. “Aiden is a great guy and lots of people have vouched for him. It’s a practical choice that fixes both our problems. And he’s not even charging me.”

“Practical she says,” Braeden repeated, voice dripping with skepticism. “He better be sleeping in the basement or something and not right across the hall.”

“The house doesn’t have a basement.”

“You know what the fuck I mean,” Braeden cut back. “Does your bedroom door have a lock? Hell, do you even have a door? What the hell were you thinking letting him in?”