Page 55 of One Little Lie
“Grunt? Who the hell grunts when they shit?”
He mumbles something unintelligible but finally turns around with the door in his hand. I grin, drop my panties, stare into the abyss, and almost throw up again while wiping down the seat. Finally, I plant my ass on the cold plastic and try not to laugh as Hatty fidgets on the other side of the door.
If I could stand the smell in here, I would mess with him a little. But as it is, I’m pushing my own limits, so I do my business and wipe. I’m surprised there’s a sink with running water in here.
“Why the heck would they have a sink but not a toilet that flushes?”
“I don’t know, Rylan.” He groans, and it’s mixed with a childish whine. “Probably something to do with septic or some shit. I’m not a damn plumber. Just hurry up, okay? This is one of the weirdest things you’ve ever made me do.”
I walk up behind him. Even as the rain pelts my body, I’m on fire for this man.
“It feels good, though, doesn’t it?”
He jumps when he realizes I’m out. Turning, he stares at me with an unreadable expression. “I don’t think I can say holding a bathroom door open while you shit is something I’d call feeling good.”
“No, but being together again does. You can fight it all you want; I feel it enough for the both of us.” A cheesy, sweet smile makes its way from ear to ear.
I’m not sure what possessed me to admit that, but it’s the truth. Something about standing here in the rain with him tells me if I want my friend back, I’m going to have to push him. Lexi was right, and it makes me smile.
“What do you think of Lexi?” I ask as he hands me the umbrella and lifts me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Hatty grunts as he navigates the mud back to the lean-to. “She’s good for Easton, even if she’s pricklier than he is.”
“I don’t think she’s really prickly. I think it’s a cover for pain. Just like some people turn into assholes to cover up what really bothers them.”
Once we’re inside of our ramshackle, temporary home, he slides me down his body. He fingers a lock of my hair, much like he did in the bar after his first experience with GG’s wine.
“You’re wet,” he whispers.
“I am. So, so wet.” I emphasize the t and point to the sleeping bag.
His eyes go hard, and his jaw sets, but he doesn’t move.
“Sit. I’m going to look at your leg now.”
I see the relief flow off him, and I fight to keep my expression neutral. I know I’m not imagining the sexual tension between us, but I don’t know where to go from here. He meets me halfway, only to shove me back ten paces every time.
“It looks like the storm is going to blow over by tomorrow.” His voice jars me from my reverie, and I turn to find him lying back on his forearms, watching me.
“That’s good. So, do we have a plan while we’re here, or are we free balling it?”
The harsh sounding laughter that erupts from Hatty’s belly is more fitting for an ogre than a human man, and I think it startles him as much as me.
“Free balling, Rylan? Seriously?”
Knowing I made him laugh, I grin. What I wouldn’t give to hear that sound every day. “Hey, I don’t know what you’ve been up to. You could be a big baller around town for all I know.”
His head drops back between his shoulders, and I get an unobstructed view of his Adam’s apple as he laughs. It’s not something I’ve ever found particularly sexy before, but everything about Hatty has always been enchanting. While he laughs—full, throaty, sexy—I imagine running my tongue up his neck. Remembering his salty flavor, I unconsciously lick my lips just as he raises his head.
“Rylan?” His voice is gruff as he follows the tip of my tongue, darting out to wet my lips.
“Hmm?”
The way he stares at me ignites my core. No one has ever seen me the way he has, the way he does, and this proves I’m not imagining it. His eyes hold all the love and longing of a starving man, but I also see conviction and a war I don’t know how to win.
“You’re everything good and pure in this world. My sunbeam in the darkest sky. I’m sorry if I dimmed that for even the briefest of time.”
Chapter 19
