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“Bribery gets you everywhere,” she comments before slamming the door shut in my face.
I chuckle softly before heading down the stairs. Jade is right about one thing: I’m going to need one hell of a bribe because today seems like the best day to look at the AC unit at Bristol’s studio. We are beyond busy, and have been for the past few weeks, but why wait till later in the week when Audrey may not be there? This way, I can kill two birds with one stone.
Now that I’ve decided to give a relationship with Audrey a try, there’s no going back, but I need to treadcarefully with her. Audrey fears being hurt and doing something that will jeopardize the new start for her and Love—and probably many other things she hasn’t shared with me yet. If I push her too quickly, she’s likely to pull away, ending things between us before they have a chance to get started. Not to mention, I also have a teenage daughter to worry about. Love and Jade have become fast friends. I need her to understand that I’m not some asshole who wants a quick fuck, that what’s happening between us is bigger and deeper than anything I’ve felt for anyone other than my wife.
“Okay. I’m ready.” Jade comes barreling down the stairs, shoving her pajama-clad legs into her UGG boots that are sitting beside the door.
“Do you plan on putting on clothes? You remember you have dance class today, right?” I chuckle, grabbing my keys off the hook and pulling the front door open.
“Oh, yeah.” She shakes her head and walks back into her room for a few minutes before reappearing with her backpack over her shoulder, pulling her hair up into a messy bun on the top of her head. “Clothes are in the bag for dance and the day. I have no doubt Love is still passed out in bed right now. I have every intention of climbing in right beside her and going back to sleep.”
“You really like Love, don’t you?” I say, stepping out the door after Jade and pulling it shut behind me.
Jade has never taken to another person as quickly as she has Love and Audrey. She’s had a few friends at school and dance, but no one she’s really connected with.Jade has always been an old soul, growing up a lot quicker than her peers, choosing to hang out with me and her uncle Vance instead of kids her own age.
“Yes,” Jade replies, pulling her door open and climbing inside the vehicle.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her as I open my door and climb inside. Trying to get my teenage daughter to talk to me about anything is like pulling teeth. “Are you going to elaborate on that?”
“She gets me.” She shrugs her shoulders, turning her head and looking out the window as I pull out of the driveway. We ride in silence for a few moments before she speaks again. “It’s only her and her mom, just like you and me. Everyone I know has both parents at home—a mom and a dad. Which is awesome for them, but I don’t know…”
“I get it. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone that understands all aspects of your life.”
“Is that why you like Audrey?”
I recoil slightly at her question, not sure how to answer it. There are a million reasons I might be drawn to Audrey, but none of them I want to discuss with my daughter, at least not yet. “No.”
“Are you planning to elaborate?” She turns toward me, crossing her arms over her chest as I pull into Audrey’s driveway.
“No.”
“How is that fair?” She giggles as I shut off the car and turntoward her.
“Life’s not fair, Squirt.” I chuckle before pulling her to my side. “But don’t get your hopes up about Audrey and me being anything more than friends.”
“It will all work out. We have a good feeling about you two.” Jade wraps her arms around my waist, hugging me tightly.
“We?”
“Love and me.” She shakes her head, as if what she just said was common knowledge. “Did you really think we didn’t have an entire conversation about our parents getting together and becoming siblings?”
I open my mouth to respond, but she cuts me off quickly. “Don’t be weird about it, Dad.” She unwraps her arms from around my waist and opens the door.
“I’m not being weird,” I mutter as I climb out of the car and follow behind her.
Once we get a few steps from the door, it opens, and Audrey steps through it. My breath hitches at the sight of her. A tight pair of pants hug the curves of her hips, and the edge of her shirt pulls up slightly, exposing her flawless, warm brown skin. My eyes trace down the lines of her body before snapping back to her face. Her cheeks flush as a small smile spreads across her face.
“Good morning,” she whispers as Jade slides by her and into the house.
“Morning,” I reply, as my stomach knots from nerves.
It’s as if I’ve been transported back to high school. The lanky kid, afraid the girl he’s been crushing on for years will reject him. Should I shake her hand, give her ahug, kiss her? My mind is racing with which would be the proper greeting and not cross a line with her. I want to kiss her, my body and mind moving on its own as I lean forward, seconds away from pressing my mouth to hers before a soft giggle reaches my ears.
“I thought you didn’t want to watch your parents make out?” I chuckle, standing up straight and taking a step back from Audrey.
“I don’t, but you two are just so adorable.” Jade rests her head on Love’s shoulder as they both stare at us. “Just like in a romance novel.”
“Didn’t you say something about going back to bed the moment Jade arrived?” Audrey chimes in, narrowing her eyes at our daughters.
