Lover (Court University 4)

I really was my father’s son.

The thought sobered me, kept me silent and clicking on keys again. I didn’t even see the emails I was drafting, but that didn’t matter. It kept me distracted.

“I was just trying to help, baby.”

And like a son of a bitch, I let my mother kiss the top of my head before getting up. I let her leave, and it wasn’t until my phone buzzed beside me, I actually moved.

Bri: Just wanted to say goodnight. Hope everything was fun at taco night. *taco emoji* *dancing girl emoji*

I fucking laughed, actually laughed. What the fuck?

Wetting my lips, I texted her back.

Me: Where are you?

Bri: Home, of course. Why? Everything okay?

Everything wasn’t okay. Not by a long shot. I started to text her the details.

But ended up doing this.

Me: I want you to come over. To my house in Maywood Heights.

I’d never asked her. We usually just stayed on campus. It was convenient. But we obviously both weren’t there.

Bri: I’m not sure. You know, meetings in town…

Couldn’t be controlled and something we never did. Mom lived here so naturally we avoided in-town meetings. But she wasn’t here now.

Me: Mom left. Please. I need you.

Bri: What’s going on? Did something happen?

Rather than try to convince her, I tossed my phone down. I probably could have pleaded with her.

I just chose not to.

Honestly, I didn’t know why. Why I had such a goddamn hard time reaching out. Instead, I sat with my thoughts, but it wasn’t long before my phone buzzed again.

Bri: Text me your address.

Bri: I’m coming.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Bri

Ramses had a big house. Gray shutters. Pale brick. A true home from the white columns out front to the quaint decor inside.

The choice surprised me. Nothing screamed bachelor about the place. Like one day, he’d planned for a family to be here with him. The fact that Evie lived maybe five blocks away only emphasized it. Grandma only a hop, skip, and a jump down the street.

The size of the tub matched the house.

It had to be to accommodate him and made it easy to wrap my legs around him.

It made it even easier to hold him.

Ramses angled his big body back into my arms as I scooped cups of water over his broad chest, his large shoulders. I followed the muscled surface down to his biceps, lacing our fingers once I got there. There was something incredibly intimate about this besides the obvious, and we’d been in the bath so long the water wasn’t even warm anymore.