AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Concern creases his forehead. “It’s pretty damn early. You still tired?”
I shrug. “A little.” My mouth quirks up. “You worked me over good last night.”
“Come here.” He strips off his shirt and pulls me down onto the bed with him. “I wanted to take my time waking up slowly with you. But I thought you were sneaking out on me.”
“I wasn’t.”
“I know,” he says in a low voice. He pulls a pillow closer for my head. “Come here.” He stretches out behind me, pulling my back against his front, and draping his arm over my hip.
I snuggle into the protective warmth of his body, feeling settled and peaceful for the first time in a long time. “This is nice,” I murmur.
He kisses my shoulder and curls around me.
I’m drifting and close to falling asleep again when there’s a buzz from behind me.
Dex lets out a sleepy groan and rolls over. “I think it’s yours. Waffle time must be over,” he says with a hint of amusement. “Nope, it’s Serena.”
My phone looks tiny in his big hand as it appears in front of my face.
“Her name came up on the screen,” he explains with a note of apology.
“It’s okay. I don’t have anything to hide from you.” I turn over on my back and shift closer to him, then flick my screen on to read her text.
Serena: How was Libby’s play?
Me: She killed it!
Wait a minute. Did Serena know Dex would be there last night? My thumb hesitates over the screen. I’m not even sure how to ask.
Instead, maybe I’ll send her the good news.
“Are you okay with me telling her you and I are back together?” I tip my head to the side to see Dex’s face.
A pleased smile curves his lips, and he answers without hesitation. “I’m more than okay with it. Tell anyone you want.”
Me: I’m at Dex’s.
My phone rings.
Dex rumbles with laughter and swipes his hands over his face.
I answer and sit up.
“Emily!” Serena’s high-pitched, happy squeal pierces my ear. I hold the phone a few inches away from my face, and mouth sorry at Dex who silently laughs.
“You did read my text, right?” I ask.
“Oh.” She lets out a nervous laugh. “Oops, did I interrupt anything…special?” She adds extra, dirty emphasis on the last word.
“Not yet.”
Dex chuckles.
“Well, I figured since you answered my text, it was safe to call,” she says. “You’re good? You two are good? Back together?”
My gaze lands on Dex and he lifts an eyebrow as if he’s asking the same question.
I hold his stare and answer, “Yes.”
Another high-pitched squeal threatens to rupture my eardrum. “I have to tell Gray. He’ll be so happy. Can I tell him? Please?” Serena begs.
“Serena,” I barely hold back my laughter. “We both know you’re going to run and tell him as soon as we hang up either way.”
“True.” She pauses for a few seconds. “Hey, are you going to talk to him this time?” she asks in a lower voice. “Ask him about his wife?”
Next to me, Dex’s body goes rigid. Shit.
“Uh, I don’t know,” I mumble.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. Too soon. Just celebrate and enjoy each other. The heavy stuff can wait. But maybe not too long, you know?”
“Thanks,” I say without taking my eyes off Dex. “How’s my little godson?” I ask to move her to another topic.
It works. She rattles off a couple of cute stories about Lincoln. “Okay, I better let you get back to your reunion.” She giggles like a teenager. “Gray and I are definitely having you two over for dinner very soon.”
“Can’t wait. Give Lincoln a snuggle for me.”
“I will.”
We say our goodbyes. I click off my phone and set it in my lap. An uneasy tension hangs in the air around us. “She’s, uh, very happy for us,” I say.
“Got that,” he says tightly.
There’s no point in pretending. “You heard what she said?”
“The highlights.” His jaw ticks. “You asked her about my wife? When? Why?”
“A while ago. I…I…don’t know why.”
“If you have questions, ask me.” The agony on his face is exactly why I never asked him directly. Why cause him pain for no reason? “What did she tell you?”
“Nothing. Gray had only mentioned that you lost your wife. No details. She told me to talk to you.”
“I guess I should be relieved Grinder kept his mouth shut. For once,” he grits through his teeth.
I’ve never heard him speak about Gray with so much anger. Light-hearted annoyance, the kind that brothers engage in, sure. But true anger, never. It doesn’t exactly make me want to continue this conversation.
“Dex,” I whisper, fighting hard not to let fear tie my tongue in knots. I want to be a better girlfriend to him this time. A partner. “Are you…can I ask you—?”
“You can ask me anything, Emily,” he cuts me off.
I breathe in and out. In and out. “What happened to your wife? I feel shitty that I never asked you before. But I also didn’t want to bring up painful memories for you if you didn’t want to talk about it.” God, that sounds like such a weak excuse.
