Page 91 of Summer Heat
I waited for her muffled acquiescence, then changed out of my trunks and made my way upstairs. I couldn't wait for Maya to see this space. I was positive she'd love it as much as I did.
I'd hung a string of lights on the railing to make the space more inviting, and lanterns were placed around the deck to provide ambiance.
I wanted a fort feel, so I set the food on the table, grabbed a blanket from the couch inside, and hung it from the railing so we could sit on the floor and enjoy the evening.
I started to open the boxes of food when I heard the squeal. Maya dived under the fort a few seconds later. "What's this?"
"A rooftop fort."
She knelt on the floor, her body wiggling with excitement. "It's so cool."
I handed her a box with chopsticks, which she accepted.
Kinsley took her time getting into the tent and sitting on one of the pillows. "No stargazing tonight?"
"It's cloudy, and I thought it would be fun to have a fort on the roof."
From here, we could still see the waves crashing on the shore and smell the salty air. The breeze ruffled the blanket from time to time, but it held. I had a feeling there would be a storm later this evening.
It was probably fitting, considering the conversation we needed to have. We ate and then projected a movie onto the wall. When Maya drifted off, I carried her to her room.
Kinsley was behind me, tucking her in. In the hallway, I asked, "Can we talk on the roof?"
I expected her to say no and held my breath.
"Give me a minute, and I'll be up."
Upstairs, I took down the blanket, folded it neatly, and set it on the couch. Then I returned the pillows and cushions to the couch and surrounding chairs.
I braced my hands on the railing, wondering how this was going to go. I hope she listened to what I had to say.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kinsley
I took a few steadying breaths before heading to the rooftop deck. Shep wanted to talk about last night, but I wasn't sure what he would say. Would he tell me that he wanted me to move out, that he didn't want to see me anymore?
I had a lot of questions about what happened and what it meant.
I'd had difficulty eating dinner and watching the movie with the thoughts swirling in my head. When I reached the attic, Shep stood at the railing, looking out over the water.
His shoulders were tense and his head bowed. When I opened the door, he lifted his head but didn't turn to face me.
"You wanted to talk?" I asked him softly, not sure whether I should sit or stand.
He turned away from the railing, keeping one hand on it as if for support. "I wanted to talk about last night."
My stomach sunk. "I get it. You want to be free to see other people. I wouldn't want to hold you back."
His brow furrowed. "Why would you think that?"
I shrugged, feeling uneasy, as if he could see through to my insecurities. "You allowed those women to approach you. You didn't seem uninterested in their attention."
He scowled. "Were my intentions clear?"
I folded my arms over my chest. "I didn't want to stick around and find out."
He sighed heavily. "I didn't talk to you before we went out about where we stood. I thought that how we spent our time together spoke for itself. I thought I'd made myself clear Friday night."
