Page 71 of Gin & Jewels
Cassie left the door unlocked while she showered just in case. The entire time I pictured her naked—of course—but I also thought about the fact that I had my first girlfriend. Maybe it was time for both Cassie and me to be truly happy.
Time would tell.
After ten daysin the hospital, I was finally able to go home—well, to Shannon’s home. She only had one spare bedroom and told me she made up the room for me to stay in, saying that Brad would sleep on the couch, but I didn’t want him to sleep on the couch. Now that I was his girlfriend, I wanted to know what it felt like to sleep in his arms and wake up next to him. I was excited, to say the least.
I wasn’t able to see Keith before I left. I wasn’t even sure if he was still in the hospital or if he was in jail. I was told that he would be transferred back to Vegas and charged for the robbery. Once that took place, I would be contacted to be a witness. So far, I was in the clear, and I had to think that was Seth’s doing. Maybe I would be charged eventually, but the important thing was that I was free now—free from Keith, free from the law, and free to do whatever I wanted.
“Something smells so good,” I stated as Brad and I walked into the house.
“I hope you like chicken and dumplings,” Shannon said from the kitchen.
“I’ve never had it.”
“You’re in for a real treat,” Brad advised.
“What is it?”
“It’s like a chicken soup with dough in it,” he answered.
I arched a brow. “With dough in it?”
“It’s boiled,” Shannon confirmed. “The dough I mean. It’s like round biscuits, but I’d say it’s more of a stew than a soup.”
“Well, it smells delicious. I can’t wait to try it.”
“Why don’t you wash that hospital off of you, and then it will be time to eat,” Shannon suggested.
I nodded and made my way down the hall. The last time I showered in that house was before everything went down.
“Just yell if you need me,” Brad stated, handing me a towel.
I grabbed it and asked, “Are you going to tell your mom that we’re dating now?”
“Probably. If that’s okay with you?”
I lowered my voice. “What about your, um … job?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, it’s on pause until I see where this goes.”
“Really?” I beamed.
“We can talk more about it later, but yeah. I called Mark the other day to tell him what was happening.”
I rushed into his arms, overjoyed because a part of me thought I would have to be okay with him fake dating for money. “Thank you.” I groaned as pain radiated through my stomach.
“Easy there,” he said, and I pulled back.
“I just didn’t know how it would work, and I was worried I would have to deal with other women or something.”
“Well, you’re my first girlfriend, and I want to do this right. I figured dating other women, even if it were for my job, wouldn’t be a good thing. Most women don’t understand that it’s just a source of income and no feelings are involved.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I’d like it. My only other boyfriend cheated on me in high school.”
Brad pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me gently. “Don’t forget that I’m a grown-ass man and not a teenager. I know right from wrong, and we’ve been through too much for me to chance hurting you.”
And then, he kissed me.
Making my way down the hall toward the kitchen, I tried to be as quiet as I could so I wouldn’t wake Brad as he slept on the couch. I couldn’t sleep, but it wasn’t because I was in pain. My brain wouldn’t shut off. I kept thinking about the last time I was in that house and everything that had happened, so I got up to get a drink of water.
