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I’ve tried to call movie nights. Brought in dinners and snacks only for Aurora to snag and run and Cedar to not even show her face. I hand out business cards for both of them, run their damn websites in what little free time I have. If they want in this life with me, they’re going to have to make some strides to fucking meet me.
I have a man to love, a shop to run, and shit to do.
Anything is better than sitting around wondering and walking on fucking eggshells with people who are supposed to love me.
As I blow past pedestrians on the sidewalk, I whip my phone out and open the text app. Fingers fly over the screen, typing a message to Rex, my ass meeting the glass of my shop door only for it to disappear and for me to nearly fall on my ass.
“My bad,” A calloused hand on my bicep steadies me on my feet and I look up to meet a set of familiar eyes. “I thought I’d get it in time.”
“Shit.” It’s off my lips before I can catch it. “Draw the short stick this week?” I stare up at a man built like a brick house and wonder how pissed my sister is going to be.
“You could call it that,” Jonathon says with a slight smile as he returns to his perch near the front door. “Maybe I’m just a glutton.”
“Oh,” I say, nodding, “You’re clearly a glutton for punishment.” I press send on the message to Rex and shake my head for Jonathon. “She’s in a shit mood, too. My fault.” I raise a hand with a mocked hiss.
“Is she ever not?” Jonathon cocks a knowing eyebrow at me and I have to laugh.
Maybe he paid more attention than I thought.
“I couldn’t fucking tell ya, Jonathon. She’s always pissed about something these days.” I shrug and glance at my phone when it pings for an alert.
The socials are going nuts again.
“Right,” he affirms, his attention going back to the front window, out of which he scans the street and the people that pass by.
Security shit I’m still not used to.
I’ve seen the look a thousand times. Only after the first few hundred did I wonder, terrifyingly so, if someone was actually out there, preparing to take my head for sleeping with their beloved rockstar.
It’s intimidating as hell to have a bulky-looking muscle man stationed like a bouncer at my store.
Recently, though, I’ve at least become accustomed to them being here around the clock. Someone is here when I come down in the morning. Someone else relieves them around noon and the next guy comes in around midnight.
It’s become a sort of comfort. Like a piece of Rex is here despite the distance.
I know it’s crazy, but they wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.
“Good luck.” I nod to the storm brewing as she waltzes by the window aiming for the front door poor Jon is guarding.
“Thanks.” He says, almost defeated, as I disappear into the back to read through some of the comments online. I don’t want to be present for that shitshow and Aurora has twenty minutes to get her panties untwisted for her next appointment.
Sinking into my plush office chair, I slide a stack of designs to the side and power up my laptop when my phone rings.
SexyMane: Incoming Audio call
Music blasts from the speaker the second I slide the answer button across the screen and I wince at the noise.
“Baby?!” Rex shouts into the phone. “Can you hear me?!”
As Above’s number one hit plays over the speaker, Rex’s voice filling my chest and settling in to warm my heart.
“Yes,” I answer. “And a million other things.” I chuckle into the mic as I drop the volume and tuck the thing between my shoulder and my head.
“Hang on. It’s too fucking loud.” He shouts, a slam echoing across the line, the music becoming muted.
“Aw, I like that song.” I tease.
“Yeah?” He chuckles, then accompanies himself and sings the next few lines to me.
