Stay with Me

“I’m sure it has. I’ve always been pretty close to Levi and Jace, as well. They can be a pain in my ass, and when we were young, they liked to torment me relentlessly. But if anyone else tried to bully me, they were right there, ready to kick ass.”

“Exactly,” she says, a small smile tickling her lips. “Also, it sucks when your family doesn’t love your spouse. It just makes everything uncomfortable, so I got used to staying away. I could blame him for it, but the truth is, I wasn’t strong enough to put my foot down and say no. This is my family, and I love them.”

“I get it,” I reply and sigh, feeling my jaw clench. “My family didn’t like Claudia either. And sometimes it was easier to do what made her happy because she was the one I lived with.”

“Yep, you get it,” she says and then clears her throat. “But enough about all of that. I guess I should say now that if you have any issues with my family, you should go ahead and say so. Because I won’t compromise my relationship with them for anyone. Ever.”

“I like your family.” I reach over and take her hand in mine. “And even if I didn’t, I’d never ask you to choose between us.”

“I like yours, too. It’s handy.”

I pull into her driveway. “Did you call anyone about the car?”

“I texted Jules. She said Nate was going to have it taken care of.”

“Good. Let’s get you in the shower.”

“I love you, Wyatt. And God knows I want to climb you every time I see you, but I just don’t think I can do the sex right now.”

I laugh from the bottom of my gut and lean over to kiss her cheek. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, you’re safe from my libido for now.”

She cups my cheek. “Thanks for rescuing me.”

“Anytime.”

I follow her upstairs, grinning at how slowly she’s taking the stairs. When she walks into the bedroom, I hurry into the bathroom and get the water flowing in the shower. When I return to the bedroom, she’s just sitting on the edge of the bed, staring off into space.

“Are you sleep-sitting?” I ask with a raised brow.

“I think so.”

“How’s your head?”

“I think it’s still attached.” She reaches up and touches it. “Yep, still there.”

“You’re so funny.” I cross to her and slip her shirt up over her head, throwing it into the hamper. “You have to stand up so I can finish getting you naked.”

“I think this is your favorite hobby.” She does as I ask and braces her hands on my shoulders as I slip her shorts and panties down her legs, then unfasten her bra and let it fall to the floor.

“It ranks right up there,” I agree. “Come on.”

I take her hand and lead her to the shower. She steps inside and immediately lets the hot water sluice over her head and down her body. Her nipples harden, and it takes everything in me to not strip down and join her.

“Are you okay here?”

“Yeah, this is nice. My head’s starting to feel better, too.”

“Good. Do you want breakfast? Maybe some scrambled eggs and toast?”

“I love you,” she says, rubbing the water out of her eyes so she can look at me. “I love you a lot. And not just for this but because you’re a good person, Wyatt.”

“I love you, too.” I lean in and kiss her lips. “You get comfortable and come downstairs.”

She nods. “This won’t take long.”

I walk downstairs and through the kitchen out back to the pool, cleaning off her favorite lounge chair, then I spread a soft blanket over it so she can curl up there in the sun for a while after she has her breakfast.

My girl loves the pool.

Once that is set up, I brew her a cup of coffee and take it up to her. She’s just walking out of the shower, wrapping her hair in a towel.

“Did you just make me coffee?”

“I did.” I hold it out of her grasp and purse my lips, waiting for a kiss.

She grins and obliges, then sighs in happiness after the first sip. “Totally keeping you,” she whispers. “I’ll be down in five minutes. I’m not going to dry my hair, I’ll just twist it up.”

“Okay, baby. No hurry.”

“No, there is a hurry because I’m starving.” She winks, then reaches out and pulls me to her. “But I’m not opposed to the whole sex thing now. I mean, I’m naked and everything.”

“And ridiculously tempting,” I reply, pressing my lips to hers. I let myself sink into her for just a moment, loving the way her naked skin feels, soft and damp from the shower, and smile against her mouth. “Do you know how badly I want to be inside you right now?”

“I’m right here,” she replies, holding onto my shirt at the sides.

“After you eat,” I promise and kiss her once more until we’re both breathless. “You’ll eat eggs, and I’ll eat you.”

She grins happily. “Promises, promises.”

“Don’t get sassy, or I’ll slap your ass while I’m at it.”

“Seriously, stop talking like this unless you’re willing to do something about it.”

I laugh and walk back down to the kitchen and pull out the pan for the eggs. Bread, eggs, and butter come out of the fridge, and when I turn back around, I notice a letter on the counter with a certified envelope next to it.

. . . in L.A. in ten days of receiving this letter . . .

I frown and move back to the task at hand, not wanting to invade her privacy but now curious about it. I’ve just opened the bread when Amelia walks into the kitchen, looking much better than she did when I picked her up.

“You look better.”

“I feel much better,” she says.

“I didn’t mean to snoop, but I see that you have to be in L.A. soon?”

She frowns and looks down at the letter, and then her whole face lights up with a bright smile. “Yes. I have to go back for the legal crap I told you about, but I have to talk to you about this.”

“Shoot.”

“Well, I was hoping that you might be able to take a week off of work so we could fly down together, pack up my place, and get my car. Then we can road trip it back to Seattle.”

I nod, thinking about my schedule. “I’m pretty sure I can move some things around. That would be fun.”

“I think so, too. I’ll hire a mover for most of it, but I’d like to pack up my personal things, and my valuables, and bring them back in the car.”

“Makes sense.” I smile and then pull her into my arms. “This is really happening.”

“So happening,” she replies and hugs me tightly. “I’m so ready to be out of L.A. I like it there, but I want to be here. Not to mention, I’m beyond excited to have this divorce final and finished.”

She pulls out of my arms and paces the kitchen, still talking, but I can’t hear anything except divorce final and finished.

“Stop.” My voice is hard. She pauses and whips her head around.

“What?”

“What did you just say?”

“That it was a technicality and it sucks?”

“Before that.” I didn’t even hear that part.

“That I’m ready for the divorce to be final?”

“Yes, that.”

“Oh my God, Wyatt, I’m so ready for it to be final. He was such a jerk . . .”