Page 122 of Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places
“My dad helped. He gave me the money for everything.”
“Good job, Dad. Very nice.”
“Thanks,” he said dryly. Maverick was watching them from the doorway.
Rebel asked, “Are you sleeping over? Do you want to watch a movie? I usually read a book before bed but we’re in the middle of one right now. You’ll be too confused to follow along.”
“Well, I’ve already broken the rules. I could stay a little longer.”
They both turned their attention to Maverick for confirmation, who suddenly looked genuinely startled. “Oh Jesus, nottogether.” He swiftly left the room, laughing. “I wasn’t ready!”
Rebel chased after him. “What’s so funny? Dad! Can Lucky stay or not?”
When she rejoined them back in the living room, Rebel was accepting the remote from her dad to pick a movie, settling on an epic high fantasy clocking in at over two hours. “This one is myfavorite,” she told Lucky, settling in next to her on the couch. “Have you seen it?”
“Not yet.”
Maverick sat on Rebel’s other side and draped a blanket over her. “She’s gonna talk through the whole thing.”
“It’s not talking, it’scommentary. I knowallthe behind-the-scenes stuff. It’simportant.”
“It’s fine.” Lucky laughed. “I don’t mind.”
Rebel ended up falling asleep in under twenty minutes—out cold before the flashback sequence even ended. Maverick carefully picked her up, carrying her off to bed. Lucky met him in the hall as he was closing her bedroom door.
“We have a pretty strict bedtime schedule,” he explained. “There isn’t much that keeps her up.”
“I should’ve called first,” Lucky admitted. “After I put everything together, I think my brain stopped processing rational thought. All I could think was how much I wanted to see you. Sorry.”
“How are you so beautiful?”
“That’s—”
“Don’t you dare.”
Lucky pressed her lips together, fighting her smile.
“You’re beautiful.” He stepped forward, placing his hands on either side of her against the wall.
Her hands trembled as she placed them flat against his chest.She hadn’t been able to touch him in weeks. She’d been in his apartment for over an hour, silently timing how long she had to continue to wait. “If you were allowed, would you come see me?”
“During the day.AmI allowed yet?”
“Xander wouldn’t give me a straight answer. What if I’m wrong about the house? What if I’m not done and I have to go back to square one? I’m tired of being alone,” she confessed. “I miss you. I miss everyone.”
“Your work is important to you. We understand.”
“I liked it better when it was our work. When we were together, as a team.”
Maverick nodded. “It’s late. You should stay.” He gently tugged her hips, pulling her toward him. They walked together to his bedroom farther down the hall.
37
Maverick closed his bedroom door and said, “We can’t.”
“I figured.” Lucky nodded solemnly.
“I can’t risk Rebel hearing us,” he explained. “Even thinking about it stresses me out.”
