The Girl's Got Secrets (Forbidden Men #7)(92)

I grinned and shook my head. “Yeah, Brandt’s a good seed.” Then I glanced around the room that had obviously been set up to entertain Julian and Skylar. The two toddlers immediately sought their toys and began to play. “You sure you’re okay with watching them?”

“I grew up babysitting younger cousins. I got this.” He nudged me toward the door. “Now go be with your friends.”

I nodded and started away. “Thanks, Rem. You’re a true friend.”





So I hung out with little Julian and Skylar. Neither of them really watched the movie I put in; they just kind of played around me, occasionally climbing over my legs to get from one side of me to the other. Sometimes a loud or particularly active scene would catch their attention, but mostly, I was the only one glued to the actual plot.

By the time the final credits rolled, they were passed out asleep, each one resting a head on either of my thighs while tears poured down my face, some inside my mask, some trickling down the outside.

“Oh, God,” I sobbed, mopping at my cheeks with the backs of my fingers. “This shit is sad.”

“Yo, Rem.” Asher appeared in the doorway, grabbing onto the side of the frame so he could swing his upper body into the bedroom. “You ready to head out? I need to get to work. Aspen said she’d take over watching Skylar and Ju—” But upon seeing me, he stopped short, and blinked. “Are you crying?”

“It’s f*cking sad,” I nearly bellowed, making Julian stir in his sleep so I had to pat his curly hair to soothe him back into deeper unconsciousness. “I mean, what the hell? It’s a Disney movie; I thought all Disney movies had happy endings.”

He laughed. The bastard actually laughed at my heartache. “Which one is it?” He let go of the door to step deeper into the room so he could see the screen.

“Tinker Bell and the Neverbeast, or something like that. Can’t remember. He’s never going to see her again,” I motioned to a picture of the beast as it flashed across the screen. “And that fairy Fawn, she loves him. They should get to stay together. This is just…it’s so wrong.”

And God, it was so good.

Asher became entranced watching the credits. Finally, he asked, “What song is this?”

“It’s ‘1,000 Years’ by KT Tunstall and Bleu. Haven’t you ever heard it before?”

“No,” he murmured, his gaze stuck on the screen. “But I like it.”

It was perfect for this movie too. Dios, this sad, beautiful, amazing movie.

Easing the babies off my lap and shifting them so they were resting on nearby blankets, I patted their precious little heads, then pushed to my feet. My back was stiff and legs ached from sitting on the floor for so long, so I stretched them and dusted off my backside.

“You said you needed to go?” I asked Asher.

“Huh?” He glanced from the movie and blinked at me before shaking his head to clear it. “Oh yeah. It’s Saturday, karaoke night. So I need to get there early too. We’d better go.” Then he smiled toward the kids. “I guess they ended up liking you. Thanks again for watching them. Mason and Reese really needed Pick and Eva today.”

“No problem. They’re good kids…and cute as all get-out.” I followed him from the room, where the rest of the apartment was a lot quieter than it’d been in the bedroom with the kids and the movie playing.





Though I loved my spot in Non-Castrato, always having to dress up as Sticks, the male drummer, was wearing on me. I just really, really missed being a girl. I mean, I could still be me when I was home and when I had to go to work at Casta?eda’s, but it seemed like other than that, I was stuck in my mask and forced to act manly almost around the clock.

I know, know. Why the heck was I whining? I’d gotten my own damn self into this predicament. I’d made my bed, and so forth.

Didn’t mean I didn’t have regrets though. I still probably would’ve tried out as a guy if I had to do it all over again. I loved being able to play with the band. And I loved this chance to get to know Asher. The verdict was still out on Gally and Heath. Heath might be okay, but it was hard to tell. Gally, I feared, was a straight-up irredeemable *.

I probably would’ve come clean to them sooner, though.

Now, I was just too chicken-shit and worried I’d destroy everything if I exposed my true identity. It would definitely upset Asher. And I’d do anything not to upset Asher, even continue to dress up as Sticks.

I’d never been the girliest girl on the planet, but three nights after I babysat Pick and Eva’s kids while Asher helped console Mason and Reese, I felt the need to indulge my feminine side. I took a long, hot bubble bath, gave myself an avocado facial, plopped two cucumber slices over my eyes and didn’t budge from the water until all my fingers and toes were pruned and colorless.

After that, I strolled barefoot around the apartment in a fuzzy terrycloth robe with a towel turban on my head as I raided the kitchen for ice cream, chocolate, and a mug of pumpkin spiced tea.

A mini pedicure followed along with fingernail painting and then eyebrow tweezing. By the time I was done with all that, I felt refreshed and ready to take on the world again.

I didn’t plan on going out, but I slid on one of my favorite little black dresses and fixed up my face and hair—just because I could—before returning to the kitchen to, ugh...do the dishes.