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She holds out an envelope to me with pursed lips and distrusting eyes. I carefully slide the image out, and my cheeks blaze with embarrassment. It’s a still from that video. I’m a fucking mess, and in this particular shot, I’m making out with a guy whose hand is up my shirt. I don’t actually remember any of this.
Zeke tenses behind me, looking over my shoulder. I flip the image over. Scrawled along the back is,IS THIS THE KIND OF WOMAN YOU WANT AS THE MOTHER OF YOUR GRANDBABY?
“When did you get this?”
“It was left on the step a few months back.” She sits on the edge of her vanity stool. “Just before Thanksgiving.”
“Did you see who left it?” I ask, and my heart pounds, knowing that I was found a long time ago. Mary shakes her head.
To know someone has been after me for this long—that they’ve been following me and watching me for months—sends a strange shudder through my body. I’m used to this behaviour from people. But in this case, it feels dangerous and personal. Usually, I can detach from what critics and trolls say about my family.
Zeke grips my shoulder, and I lean back into his chest. To clear the air with Mary, I need to explain myself.
“I’m sorry that I came between Zeke and Jess,” I say, and Zeke’s fingers dig into my shoulder. “I truly didn’t mean to cause trouble. Jess came by to see me a bit ago and brought baby clothes. She’s really lovely.”
Mary stares me down wordlessly. I’m hoping this works. That Jess holds no grudge against me, so she shouldn’t either.
“Come down for dinner, Ma.” Zeke leans forward, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, and I sink wholly into his support.
Mary stands, and relief floods through me. I’m hoping this won’t be like Thanksgiving all over again.
Zeke slows me down with an arm around my shoulder as Mary makes her way downstairs. He spins me to face him and crushes his lips to mine, pulling me up to my tiptoes with his hands on my hips. I cling to him and inhale his scent as he tastes my tongue and bites on my bottom lip. He breaks away to trail kisses along my jaw.
“Where did that come from?” I ask, feeling his intensity like a roaring waterfall. I lift my chin to give him access to my neck, and he bites on my earlobe, sending me to giggles.
“I just want to take you into the bathroom and—” He kisses my neck again. Heat burns through me in a flash.
“Why don’t you, then?” I ask, and he snaps back to catch my eye. We stare silently at each other, and the corner of my mouth raises so slowly into a rebellious grin. “Or are you worried about knocking me up or something?”
His hand drops to mine, and he spins with a deep laugh. I struggle to keep up as he guides me up the stairs to the third story. The attic used to be his room, and by the way it looks, I’m guessing Del didn’t make good on her threat to take his place here. He has a simpler, more haphazard style, unlike his brother.
There’s a bed with a plain blue comforter, a standing closet, and a desk with absolutely nothing on it. It’s clean, and the setting sun filters light through the round window above the bed. The room is lit by lamps only, with no overhead lighting at all.
The door barely clicks shut when he pushes me up against it to kiss me again. I’ll never tire of the way he kisses me.
“You know, one of your sisters is going to come looking for us,” I say against his mouth. He reaches up and snaps a lock on the door with a loud clank, and as soon as I know we can’t be interrupted, I let go of my inhibitions.
I grab at the waist of his pants and unbuckle his belt as he traces hot kisses down my neck to my collar bone. His entire body jostles as I undo his pants, only knowing I need him. He walks me backward to his desk and quickly lifts me to sit on it.
“I feel like we’ve been in this position before?” he says, taking my face in his hands.
“With a very limited amount of time,” I warn, and he kisses the tip of my nose.
“Well, then,” he says. He drops to his knees, unzipping the boots I’m wearing.
Last time, I was in a skirt. This time, the tight black leggings under my dress make him work for it.
And he definitely works for it.
