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“They youngest?” I guessed.
“Yes,” she lamented. “Being the youngest and only girl is a recipe for disaster, I’m telling you. Especially with my mom gone. You should’ve seen them freak out when I got my first period.”
I chuckled. “I’ll bet. What’re your brothers’ names?”
“Let’s see. There’s Brock, Braiden, Booth, Blaine, and then me.”
I started to nod, before freezing. “All Bs,” I said, straightening with surprise.
She groaned and fell forward to hide her face in the mattress before sitting up and scowling. “Don’t you dare say that’s fucking cute. I will cut you.”
“Oh, trust me. I would never. Because I totally understand.” I pressed a hand to my heart. “There’s me, Beckett, and my sister, Brittany. Then my mom and dad are Brian and Brenda.”
Bailey gasped. “My dad’s name is Ben, and my mom was Bonnie. Oh my God. You’re from a B family too. You do understand.”
“Hell, yes, I understand,” I insisted. “And it’s awful. Everyone else is all like, ‘oh, that’s so adorable,’” I mimicked before making a grimace.
Pointing at me, Bailey growled, “But it’s not. Not even a little. It makes people never take you seriously, or they make fun of you, or worse, think you’re all just so freaking delightful and take stupid matching pictures of your cuteness all bunched together.” She sniffed in outrage. “Like I want to be smashed between my stinky brothers that much.”
“Annoying as hell,” I finished, nodding in total agreement.
“Exactly.”
“I’m never doing that to my children.” I shook my head, adamant.
“Hell, I’ll even refuse to date a guy whose name starts with B,” she added.
“Good idea,” I seconded, until wait…I frowned. My name started with a B.
But she didn’t seem to notice that point. She held out a fist for me to bump. “To anti-B-hood!”
I chuckled and bumped my fist against hers. We shared a smile for…I don’t even know how long. But it was warm and carefree and felt nice.
I don’t know who spoke first after that, or what we even discussed. But it was nothing but comfortable and relaxed. The topics skipped to strange, everyday shit, sometimes funny, sometimes annoyances we shared. We just swapped stories and compared opinions until Bailey yawned and glanced at her wrist before her eyes went huge.
“Holy shit. I had no idea it was so late.”
She hopped off the bed and hurried into the bathroom. When she came out in her comfy conservative pajamas, I wanted to cuddle with her more than was humanly decent. But that was bad. It had to be bad, right?
I sat up and scooted off the bed. “Do you mind if I borrow your shower?” I asked, scratching the back of my neck as I grew not-so comfortable, wanting things I knew I shouldn’t.
“Sure.” She waved her hand to the bathroom door. “You know where it is. Help yourself to whatever.”
I nodded my thanks and escaped the bedroom. For some reason, I took my time. This going to bed with her every night was getting harder and harder to handle. I wanted her more every time we lay down next to each other. I admired her and ached and dreamed about something happening between us, even while I knew I shouldn’t.
Luckily, she was asleep when I finished my shower, so I was able to crawl onto my side and watch her for a while, before I whispered, “Thank you.”
That moment hours ago when I’d stood in the other bathroom, staring at those pills and feelings tempted, seemed like a lifetime ago. Bailey had made it all disappear and at the moment, I couldn’t even remember why I’d even had the thought. I certainly wouldn’t again, that was for sure. I had something to live for now. Something huge and important.
I was going to recover from this and come out better at the other end just so Bailey could claim with confidence how much she’d saved me.
I would do it all for her.
Chapter 23
BAILEY
“What the heck are you looking for?” Tess asked, sending me a strange glance.
