Page 21 of Make Us Yours
“That’s a shame. It looks beautiful, and the view must be magnificent. With the right outdoor furniture and decorations, it could be spectacular.” She sounds almost dreamy as she says it.
“Well then, you have the go-ahead to do whatever you want with it,” Gabe offers.
“Oh, I had already planned to,” she says matter-of-factly, which makes us both chuckle. “That reminds me.” She holds up a finger and walks away, coming back seconds later with a bag in hand.
She opens it up and retrieves what looks like bed sheets. “Here, I got these for you.” She hands them over to Gabe for him to look over.
“Umm… there were extra sheets in the linen closet. You didn’t need to buy new ones.” He looks uncertain of how to react and slightly uncomfortable.
“I know. But these are cooling sheets. They’ll help keep your body cool and not sweat as much. And apparently, they’re very durable too, less likely to rip.” The tiniest hint of a blush forms over her cheeks. This is the first time I’ve seen Veronica blush, hell, I’m not even sure you can consider it that, but it’s a beautiful sight I didn’t know I needed.
“Oh… well, thank you,” Gabe says with a nervous smile.
“You’re welcome. Anyway, I think that was all for now. I hope you’ll both make an effort with what I’ve asked of you. And well, if you don’t, there will be consequences.” She smiles, but it looks diabolical.
“Wait, wait. What do you mean by consequences?” Gabe sits up and scoots to the edge of the couch.
“Well, Gabe, if you don’t at least try, I’ll make you eat an unhealthy meal every time you leave stuff around. That should motivate you.”
His mouth gapes. “WHAT!? No way.”
“Then start picking up after yourself, Pretty Boy.” She folds her arms under her chest.
He grumbles something we don’t catch, then sighs. “Fine! What about him?” He nods my way.
She looks me up and down, thinking. “Noah, can you cook?”
I go to answer, but Gabe scoffs beside me. “No, he can’t cook for shit. Why do you think I’m in charge of every meal around here?”
She smiles wickedly now. “Good. Then every time you leave something lying around, Gabe will not cook for you, and you’ll be in charge of making your own meals for the day. No takeout, no leftovers. Seems fair?”
Now it’s my turn for my jaw to drop. “How is that fair?!”
“Well, you boys know what to do if you don’t want to deal with the consequences. Now show me how to open the patio door so that I can continue working. Gabe, just leave the sheets on your bed, I’ll set them up before leaving.” She turns and heads toward the outdoor space we have.
“How did we go from hiring a housekeeper to having a mother?” Gabe asks while staring at her back.
“I was wondering the same thing.”
“You should have expected it!” Veronica calls out.
We really should have.
Chapter six
Veronica
How hard can it really be to make mac and cheese?
I stop at the small deli shop near our condo and order two sandwiches for me and Aubrey before heading to the cute little bakery she works at. Gabe had invited me to stay for dinner, bribing me with more delicious creations, but I had promised to bring Brey dinner since she left hers at home.
I pay for the sandwiches and head out of the shop, walking the two blocks to the bakery as my mind wanders over the day I’ve had. I must admit, I had a good time with the twins today. It’s strange to think that in just two days, I’m starting to see them differently, and I’m not sure how to feel about that.
When we were having breakfast together, it felt good. I didn’t feel like I had to force my smiles or my laughs; they just came naturally. I could see it always being like that. Gabe even surprised me by going a full day without flirting, which has never happened since I’ve known him. He was actually really kind, and it was nice to see under the whole playboy persona he puts on.
Even when I had my little freak out in the hall, he didn’t push me for information or make a joke about it like I would have expected him to. Instead, he took my mind off it and acted like it never happened.
And then there’s Noah. I can never get a good read on him; I never know what he’s thinking. He’s always polite with me, a real charmer like always, but it’s subtle. Sometimes he looks at me and acts in certain ways that make me question what exactly he might know about me.
