A puff of air leaves my lungs. “Great.”
“Oh, and we’re having a girls’ day today. I’m calling Nova and we’re going out to get our nails done or something.”
I have to laugh to myself. Rae demanding a girls’ day? I’m pretty sure that’s one for the record books. I remember how I used to have to beg her to go out. She’s grown a lot since we’ve met, and maybe it sounds weird but I’m proud of the person she’s become.
“All right,” I say. “Girls’ day. Woo!” I shake my hands weakly.
Rae laughs at me. “Maybe the guys can do something too.”
I force a smile. “That sounds fantastic. Girls’ day and guys’ day. Fun times.”
Not.
I pace restlessly in Thea’s room, waiting for her to come up. I’m freaking out about Rae catching us. Not because of her finding out, but because of what her finding out might do to Thea. I’m terrified it’s going to send her back to where she was in the very beginning of this when she was apprehensive and scared and kind of standoffish.
Prue lifts her head from the mess of blankets on the bed and watches me pace. She looks at me quizzically wondering what the fuck is going on, but I don’t have it in me to comfort her and tell her I’m okay, because I’m not okay.
When the door opens, I immediately ask, “Are you okay?”
Thea looks up at me with wary eyes as the door clicks shut softly behind her. “Fine. Rae was cool with it.”
“I know, but are you cool with her knowing?”
“Yeah.” She shrugs. “She said she wouldn’t tell Cade.” I nod, waiting for her to say more. “We need to tell him. Soon.”
I wet my lips, shocked that she’s said this. I expected the whole summer to pass with her still not wanting to tell him. This change is shocking, but I’m okay with it.
“Okay, we’ll tell him.”
“Maybe we should take him out to dinner. You know, butter him up with a steak and dessert. If we get him full enough he might not chase us if we have to run away.”
I snort. “Your brother’s in great shape. He could chase us with a gorilla on his back.”
She sighs. “True. As much as I don’t want him to know, we have to tell him. I can’t keep doing this to us. It’s not right for us to be a secret.” She smiles sadly and closes the distance between us, wrapping her arms around my torso. I hug her back, laying my head on top of hers. “Oh—” She pulls away suddenly. “Rae insists on us having a girls’ day and you guys getting together for the day.”
I raise a brow. “Sounds delightful.”
She laughs and s
teps out of my arms, heading for the bathroom. “I’m used to being the one that has to drag Rae out. I think this is the first time she’s insisted on us hanging out. I think hell might have frozen over.” She pauses in the bathroom doorway and I take a moment to look at her. To look at her hair tumbled over her shoulders, and the loose gray t-shirt that falls off her shoulders, to the black shorts that hug the curve of her ass. She’s beautiful, inside and out, and she’s mine. I never thought I’d be able to say that. She smiles at me, knowing I’m looking at her, and braces her hand on the doorway. “Shower?”
I don’t hesitate.
“Fuck yes.”
The shower was fucking pointless, but I guess it wasn’t really about the shower, so win for me.
Cade wants to go to the gym, so Jace is meeting us there. Jace has been our friend since high school, and I’ve been so busy with work, football, and Thea, that I haven’t seen him in a month.
Jace is waiting outside the building when we get there. “Fucking slowpokes,” he says as we approach, and tosses his cigarette on the ground.
Cade shakes his head. “What an oxymoron. Smoking in front of the gym.”
Jace’s lips tip up in what someone might call a smile. “I dare to be different, unlike you fuckers.”
We head into the building and straight to the free weights.
I don’t say much, but none of us really do so no one can comment on my silence.