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“Okay. Thank you. Are you good to get everyone home okay?”
“We’re all set. Thank you for having us.” She leans in for a hug. “It was nice to meet everyone.”
“You’re Everlasting Ink family,” I remind her. “This will be your new normal.”
Her smile is huge. “Looking forward to it.”
She manages to wrangle Drake and Lyra, and lead them to their car.
“I’ll start getting these guys to bed,” Roman tells me.
“I can help.”
“Just check on Monroe, and maybe Legend. I’ll help your brother and Maddox and then come and get him too. Sleeping in the truck is never fun.”
“And you? Where are you sleeping?”
He leans in and presses a kiss to my temple. “I’ll hold you until you fall asleep, but then I’m going to take the couch or one of the extra beds. Wherever is open.”
“You’re staying?” I ask, surprise evident in my tone.
“Baby girl, you’re here, and I can get away with it without it being obvious. Of course, I’m staying.”
Together we start getting everyone to bed, putting out the fire, and locking up the house. Just as he promised, Roman slips into my room and slides into bed next to me. He wraps me in his arms, and we both sigh, content. “Sleep, baby girl.” I feel his lips on my shoulder and close my eyes.
I wish he’d be next to me when I wake up, but at least he’ll be here. I’ll get to see him. Maybe I can convince all the guys to stick around and hang out since it’s my last day. Anything to spend more time with him.
ChapterFifteen
Roman
“Just not feeling well,” I tell Forrest on the other end of the phone. “I’m going to sleep it off. Hopefully I’ll be fine with my afternoon clients. If not, I’ll reschedule them.”
“You need anything? Em and Monroe are heading out of town. I can have them drop something off.”
I close my eyes, because I know that I’m going to hell for this. “Yeah, maybe ask Em if she minds stopping by and dropping off some headache medicine. I took the last of mine in the middle of the night.”
It’s not a complete lie. I did take the last of mine last night before bed. I’ve done nothing but obsess over the fact that she’s leaving today and won’t be home until Thanksgiving. The lie is that I need them now. What’s one more when my lie of omission—that I’m falling for his little sister, the one that’s ten years younger than me—is already out there in the universe?
“Sure, I think Em is getting ready to leave. They’re meeting at Monroe’s and will follow each other back to school like they always do.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll give her some money when she gets here.”
“Don’t worry about it. I got you covered. I’ll call later to check in.” He ends the call, and I drop my cell phone to the couch. Guilt sits heavy on my chest, but dammit, I need to see her, and this is just one more fail-safe that we’re not going to get busted. I won’t see her again until the end of November unless I can manage to get time away to sneak up there to visit her.
My phone rings and I groan until I check the screen and see the image of her smiling face. “Hello.”
“Are you okay? Forrest said you weren’t feeling well. I can stay another day and drive back to school tomorrow. What do you need?”
“I’m fine, baby girl. I had to make something up when Forrest realized I changed my schedule.”
“So you’re okay?”
The concern in her voice touches a place deep in my soul. A place I didn’t know existed until I let her into my life as more than just my best friend’s little sister. “I’m good. But now we’re good if someone sees you here.”
“I still can’t stay long.”
“I know. We’ll make every minute count.”
