Page 33 of The One for Me
He humphs. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“I didn’t say it was good poetry.”
“I’ll show you poetry, let’s go out back so I can show you how to pump the water, if it doesn’t freeze, and empty the composting toilet.”
“Wait, I have toemptythe toilet?”
He rubs his hands together and gives me a maniacal grin. “Oh, yeah, Devney better be worth all this, brother. You’re in the shit now.”
There’s no question of whether she’s worth it, she is. I just don’t know how we would endure the possible fallout if it doesn’t work.
* * *
It’s colder than a monkey’s ass in this stupid box on wheels. I roll out of the bed, taking the blankets with me, and crank the heat. There isn’t much room or very many amenities in here, and I am going to have to find a way to get back in the main house—fast.
I put on sweatpants and pack a small bag so I can grab a shower. There’s not a chance in hell I’m attempting it in here. Declan showed me all the things I need to do to make the house livable. I heard him, but I was not in the mood last night to go out to the generator and refill it, and I forgot to turn on the coil to keep things from freezing.
So, I will have no water, let alone hot water.
I toss on my jacket and sprint to the house.
“Dev?”
No answer.
Her car is still out front, so I know she’s here. “Devney?” I try again, not wanting to scare her.
Maybe she’s still asleep. Honestly, that would probably be best.
The door to her room is closed so I open the door quietly to see if she’s asleep, but it’s empty.
“Devney?” I call out again, but there’s still no answer.
I open the other two bedroom doors, but there is no sign of her. What the hell? Did she suddenly take up running?
Whatever. I need to grab something out of my room. I walk down, and when I open it, I find her nestled in the bed, hair fanned out over the pillow I slept on, and my heart does a flip.
She’s so beautiful.
And she’s here, in my room, lying on the sheets I slept on before she tossed me out. I enter quietly, not wanting to wake her, and lean down, pressing my lips to her hair, inhaling the flowery scent.
Feeling a bit like a creeper, I head out and hear her voice. “Sean?”
Shit. “Hey, I called out, but you didn’t answer.”
“What are you doing here?” She sits up, letting the sheet pool around her hips and giving me a delicious view of her nipples through the tank top.
“Uh, I’m . . . I need to shower and there’s no hot water at that thing you forced me to use as my living quarters.”
Her eyes widen a bit. “Oh. I didn’t . . . really? No water?”
I nod. “Yeah, so, I’m going to need to use my house.”
She takes her lower lip between her teeth. “Right.”
“Don’t play at being apologetic now, Shrimpy. Not when you walked me into that corner so perfectly.”
“Whatever. We both know the two of us living together isn’t the best idea.”
