Until May (Until Her/Him #11)(66)

“See? You can stay at my place until you get on your feet,” he tells her.

“If that’s what you want,” I add, because this really needs to be her choice, not anyone else’s. “No one should tell you how to live your life, so if being with him is what you want, I say go for it, but I think you need to really think about what you want and what makes you happy,” I say, and when she doesn’t reply, I get off my stool. “We should eat.” I walk around the island. “Will you get your sister some coffee?”

“Yeah, after you kiss me.”

“So bossy,” I mumble, and he smiles, touching his mouth to mine, and I squeeze his waist before I go to the oven and open it.

“I made a quiche and bacon. I hope that’s okay.” I look over at Bridgett, and tears are pooling in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She sniffles, taking the cup of coffee her brother gives her. “It’s just… seeing you guys, that’s what I want.”

“You can have it; you just need to be brave enough to be uncomfortable for a bit.” She nods, and I turn my attention back to the oven and pull out the quiche. “I hope you like veggies, eggs, cheese, and sausage.” I set the glass dish on the counter.

“I’m not picky,” she says as I grab the pan of bacon that has been in the warmer drawer, then take down three plates and start dishing out large pieces.

“You made this?” Bridgett asks in awe when I hand her one, and I smile as Aiden laughs.

“I did.”

“She’s an amazing cook.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and kisses the side of my head.

“You’ll have to teach me,” Bridgett says after taking a bite off her plate, and I lean into her brother.

“I’d love that,” I reply softly, because I really would love to spend time with her, even if we didn’t get off on the right foot the first time we met. I hope we can find a way to become friends. More than that though, I hope she and her brother can find a way to put the past behind them and mend their relationship.





Chapter 19


Aiden

AFTER CHECKING THE time, I walk through the bedroom toward the open bathroom door and stop there to watch May lean across the counter and apply something to her lashes.

“Sorry, I’m almost done.” She meets my gaze in the mirror, and I walk toward her slowly.

“What time do we need to be there?” I step up behind her, placing my hands on her hips, the material of her robe so thin it’s easy to tell she has nothing—or close to nothing—on under it.

“Eight.

“Are you sure we need to go?” I look down at her round ass, and my hands itch to move the silky material up over her waist.

“Unfortunately, yes.” She turns to face me and rests her hands against my chest. “Next weekend, we are doing absolutely nothing.”

“That’s going to be difficult for you to pull off, baby, since just this afternoon you promised your mom we’d have dinner with her and your dad next Saturday.”

“Damn, I forgot about that.” She drops her forehead to my chest. “Why did you let me agree to that?”

“Because I’m still trying to win your dad’s approval,” I say, and she tips her head back, and her brow wrinkles.

“My dad likes you.”

“I’m not sure about that.” I give her waist a squeeze. He might tolerate me, because he loves his daughter, but like is not how he feels about me.

“When you got between him and me, you earned his respect, which is more important than him liking you.” She leans up to kiss my jaw, then heads into the closet. “Do you think Bridgett is going to be okay?”

The change of topic doesn’t surprise me. I know she’s worried about my sister, more so now after what we learned today. Hell, I’m worried about her… and pissed at our mom for not wanting better for her daughter.

“Like you said, baby, what she decides to do is up to her.” I lean against the doorjamb of the closet. “I just really hope she thinks about why she was still taking her birth control after her husband told her that he wanted them to have a kid.”

“Yeah, me too.” She takes off her robe, and it’s a serious form of torture, seeing her in a skimpy pair of panties and a bra, knowing I won’t be able to take them off her for hours. “I can’t believe your mom wants her to go back to him.”

“Babe, my parents have stayed together for years, and I don’t know that they’ve ever been happy. So I’m sure my mom is thinking that she did it, so why can’t Bridgett suck it up and do it too.” I watch her skim a pair of pants up her thighs.

“That so dumb,” she grumbles, grabbing a white silky-looking top off a hanger, putting it on and tucking it in. “I can’t imagine staying with someone I wasn’t happy with.”

“Yeah, but that’s because you’re not a woman who thinks happiness is attached to material things.”

“I guess.” She grabs a pair of heels off one of the shelves and steps into them. “Okay, ready.” She lets out a breath and turns to face me.

“What time is this thing over?” I let my eyes roam over her.

“I think eleven. Really, it depends on when the kids all take off. I’m sure most of them will have plans that have nothing to do with the dance.”