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I don’t know why, but I stay put, my ass perched on the counter, and slide the sweatshirt over my head.
“We’re just eating breakfast. Are you all hungry?” I hear him ask.
I’m going to kill him.
“Come on in,” he says, and I hear the door shut. “Babe, our siblings are here,” he calls out, giving me a heads-up.
I tug on the sweatshirt, and it covers me, but I still feel uncomfortable. At least they can’t tell I’m not wearing a bra or panties. Don’t judge.
“Hey, sis.” Aurora smiles.
“Hi.” I wave awkwardly.
Conrad walks in behind them and comes to stand between my legs. He picks up his plate and begins to eat. “I can make more if you’re hungry,” he tells them.
“Nah, we just ate.” Grant grins. “We just wanted to stop in and see if you all planned to go back to the hospital today. We’re headed there now.”
“We haven’t talked about it,” Conrad tells him.
Aurora has her nose buried in her phone while the brothers talk while I sit awkwardly on the island, staring at Conrad’s bare chest. It’s not until I hear my sister that I pull my eyes to her. Her grin is huge, and I know without a doubt she’s up to something.
“Aspen, I have a song I want you to hear,” she tells me. It’s then that “I Just Had Sex” by Lonely Island plays from her phone. She bobs her head to the beat and starts singing the lyrics. Conrad and Grant are cracking up laughing. I try my hardest to keep a straight face, but I can’t, and I end up joining them.
“You earned that one,” Grant tells me with a smile.
“I’m sorry.” Aurora beams. “I had to do it.”
“We’re even,” I tell her.
“We’ll see.” She chuckles.
Conrad, who is already finished with his breakfast, while my plate remains untouched, places his hands on my thighs. “You want to go back to the hospital?” he asks me.
“Sure.”
“Mom’s bringing food. Anything we need to do?”
“Nah, she’s got it all handled. You know Mom, she lives for feeding her family.”
I can’t help but think I’d be the same way with my kids. “I still have the magic bars from last night that we never got to eat. I’ll bring those,” I tell them.
“Sounds like a plan,” Grant agrees.
“Wait, who has Carter?” Conrad asks.
“They dropped him off at Mom and Dad’s. They’re going to visit early.”
“We can watch him,” I tell Conrad.
“We offered too,” Aurora tells me. “Owen insisted they wouldn’t stay long. Besides, I can guarantee we get kicked out at one point or another. There is a lot of us.” She smiles warmly at her husband.
“We’ll see you there?” Grant asks Conrad.
“Yeah, we’ll get a shower and head over.” With a wave, my sister and her husband turn and head for the front door.
“Oh, Aspen.” Aurora stops and turns to look at me.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t forget to wipe down the counter.” She winks, and then they’re gone.
“Remind me to never let you answer the door again. Not unless I’m fully dressed,” I tell Conrad.
He smiles and hands me my plate. “Does that mean you plan on sleeping here more often?”
I ignore him, taking a big bite of my eggs. He throws his head back in laughter. The sound fills my heart and my soul. We both know he’s worn me down. I’m tired of fighting, and I can’t resist him. Not even if I really wanted to.
Chapter 28
Aspen
“Do you have to go home?” Conrad asks.
We’re sitting on the couch at his new place. He’s lived here for a week, and every day he’s asked me when I’m moving in. “Yes. I have so much laundry to do, and I need to clean out my refrigerator. I’ve been spending so much time here, all the food is expired, and I need to toss it before it starts to stink.”
“Okay, so I come with you. You grab your clothes while I clean out the fridge, and then we come back here.”
“Con, I don’t live here.”
“Why not?” he asks.
“We’ve been dating a hot minute.”
“Do you want to be here?” he asks.
“That’s not the point. Of course, I love spending time with you, but I have responsibilities.”
“Bring your responsibilities here,” he counters.
“It will be good for us to spend a night apart.” I say the words, even though I’m dreading it just as much as he is. I’ve stayed here every night since his first night here last weekend. I need to go home and process all of this. Not to mention, I really do need to catch up on laundry and clean out the fridge.
“I don’t think I’ll survive it,” he says dramatically.
“Stop.” I laugh. “I think you’ll be just fine.”
“I don’t like it,” he grumbles.
“It’s hard to live out of an overnight bag.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know he’s going to turn them around on me.
