Page 88 of Running
“A mess I’m not complaining about.”
She shuffles closer to me, and I open my arms to hold her. I’m still naked, and she is as well from the waist down, but she seems to be wanting connection more than another round.
“Thank you for doing this with me. I’m loving these little discoveries. And feeling like I can try anything.”
I kiss the top of her head, and we lie in comfortable silence for a few minutes before she speaks again.
“I don’t want to move, but I do need to go back to Landon’s again to sleep tonight. Grover duty.”
I put my hand on her cheek and kiss her lips lightly. “Alright. Do you feel awake enough to drive your car back there?” Landon’s house is only five minutes away, but still.
“I’m okay,” she responds.
We move slowly to get dressed again, but about twenty minutes later I’m walking her outside to her car.
“Bye, Johnson,” she says as she closes her car door. “And remember, next time it’s your turn to pick off the list.”
As I watch her drive off, all I can say is:
I’m a goddamn lucky bastard.
CHAPTER 27
Johnson
When I walk back into the house, I’m not surprised to see a bunch of texts from Carter. An unpleasant wake-up call to the stakes of everything that just happened.
CARTER: WTF bro.
CARTER: Battle’s sister? Without talking to him? Are you crazy?
CARTER: My guy, this is fucked.
I sigh. I definitely need to have a conversation with him, but it’s already ten.
JOHNSON: Can I talk to you in the morning?
CARTER: Call me now.
I immediately dial him, since the talk to come is inevitable anyway.
“Hey,” he says as he picks up. “You got to explain what’s going on to me. It wasn’t cool learning about it from Jess. And I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking if what she said is true.”
I hear her say something in the background. “I didn’t mean it that way, babe,” he says, more muffled. “Only that Johnson and I are tight, so why isn’t he telling me himself?”
“I’m sorry, man. Yes, it’s true. Grace and I are seeing each other, under the radar.”
“Shit. Do you know what Landon would do if he found out you were hooking up with his sister?”
His words kick up some of the guilt I’d tucked away the last week.
Just tell him the truth, that’s all you can do.
“It’s not like that, Carter. I really like her. We’re…we’re exploring something serious, not just fucking around.”
He pauses at that clarification, taking a deep breath that’s audible. “And you don’t think you can tell Landon?”
“We decided to see how it goes first. You know how he would be. Helicopter brother, or whatever the saying is.”
