Page 34 of Under the Same Sky

“I just,” her throat works with a swallow, “I just remembered so much, and I couldn’t deal with it.”

I glance down at Eli, who’s blissfully unaware of the air that crackles between me and Reese, and then look back at Reese. “You know, at some point, we’re going to have to talk.”

“I don’t think there’s anything to talk about, Thorin.”

I lean closer, until we’re almost nose-to-nose, and if Eli moved his mouth just a smidge, he’d catch my nip. “Like hell there is, Reese Pie.” I use her nickname, the one I gave her in second grade, on purpose. “And you know it.”

“Just another thing we disagree on,” she mumbles, hiding whatever she’s really feeling. And that’s another thing that I’ve discovered pisses me off—my inability to read her like I used to. She unclips Eli, and gives him a kiss before handing him over to me. Little guy gets comfortable in the crook of my arm. He’s become used to being tucked into my side like a football, and I think he likes it. Might have something to do with hearing my heartbeat, since he’s tucked into my left arm. He’s fallen asleep on my chest countless times, ear pressed to my chest. I’d like to think it’s more than my heartbeat though, and that maybe he knows there’s a part of his dad in me, a part he feels. God knows I feel more of my brother when Eli’s with me, too.

“Enjoy your dinner.” Reese is about to leave when I remember, “We’re turning the old barn into a recording studio.” She stops, and faces me, hands intertwined at her waist. It’s stupid, but I want her to like the idea of me being here on a more permanent basis.

“Okay?”

“I spoke to the guys last night, actually. Decided to make this my home base since we have Eli now.” I want to add that it’s also because she’s here, but I keep that little nugget to myself. How I feel about Reese is confusing enough as is. No need to be adding to the clusterfuck of shit going on in my head.

“Oh. What about your other houses?”

“Selling the place in London,” I tell her. “But I’ll keep the place in New York. Told Alex to have it ready for when you’re ready to go. Mya still needs to let me know when we’re leaving.”

“Day after tomorrow, I think, but I can stay in a hotel with Mya.” Her expression does something funny, looks like she’s chewing a lemon.

I shake my head. “Don’t be stubborn, Reese. I have a penthouse in the city. We’ll stay there.”

Reese purses her lips, and what in the ever loving hell is wrong with her face?

“I’m not sure I want that.”

“Doesn’t matter what you want.” Now I’m being full of shit. “Pen is having a nursery set up already, and it’ll be easier if we just travel together. Mya’s more than welcome to stay in a hotel if she wants, but it’ll be easier for you to stay with me.” It’ll make no difference where she stays, actually, but for some asinine reason, I want her and Eli, in my house.

There’s a new subtlety to Reese’s anger, and I know it’s because of Eli. Her jaw ticks, her shoulders straighten, but where she would previously raise her voice, she now keeps it calm, and level. “I’m not staying with you, Thorin. And Eli will be just as comfortable in a hotel room.”

I cock my chin out. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.” I move towards the fridge to grab a bottle for Eli, and give Reese my back. “Tell Mya I said thanks for dinner.”

The door shuts shortly after, and then its just me and Eli.

“You’re not allowed to date until you’re forty,” I tell him. “In fact, just stay away from women altogether, okay? They’re batshit crazy.”

He looks at me like I’m the crazy one, and I can’t say I disagree.

It’s what I call the ‘Reese effect’.

The only person who looks confused by what I just said is Carson. Benji quietly sips his coffee, and makes notes on what needs to be done to the barn to turn it into a fully functioning sound studio—he’s meeting with the contractors, and liaising with Alex while I travel to New York—and Fletch is pulling faces at Eli. For someone who swears he’ll never have kids, he’s actually pretty good with my nephew.

“So, let me get this straight,” Carson sits upright, “you’re flying to New York to model clothes for Reese’s fitness thingy?”

I give him a look. “It’s not a fitness ‘thingy’. She’s got a legit business online, and Mya thought it would be a good idea to include training material, and fitness apparel for men.” At the mention of Mya, Fletch looks up. “What about Mya?”

“You’re so not going there,” I tell him, my glare hard. She’s only been here a few days, and somehow they’ve hit it off. Unfortunately for her, Fletch doesn’t do anything but short-term flings, and she strikes me as the kind of girl who wants long-term, marriage and babies included. But I digress. I look back at Carson. “Mya showed me the plan, and Alex sent over a contract. I leave tomorrow.”

“Ookay, but, why? We’re about to start construction on your sound studio, and now you want to play ‘model’?”

I sigh, completely exasperated. Some days, the lights are on in Carson’s head, and someone’s home, but other times, not so much. Guy can play a bass guitar unlink anyone I know, but he’s not always the sharpest tool in the shed. Explaining this to him would be like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, so I stick to the basics. “I like the idea,” I admit honestly. “Alex also think it’s a good chance to do something different, something that’s mine.”

“And Reese asked you?” I try not to be offended by that, because realistically, I’m the fitness junkie between the four of us. Sure, the guys work out—when they’re not nursing hangovers—but my training is regimented. “She didn’t, actually. Mya did. And I said yes.”

“Again, why?”

“Because he wants to help Reese,” Benji answers without looking up from the blueprint in front of him. I might be scowling at him because he’s right, I do want to help her, but what he won’t say in front of Fletch and Carson is that I want something that’s kind of mine. Not that I want an escape from music, it’s in my blood, but I wouldn’t mind trying something else while we’re taking a recording break. And if it happens to help Reese, it’s just a bonus. That’s what I tell myself, at least. I made the fatal mistake of checking out her social media after I put Eli to bed last night, and stumbled across her last Youtube video, the one she was so upset about when I found her in the stables. I realized two things. Reese has had as hard a time losing Ryan and Mel as I have, and two, she’s worked damn hard to get her business to where it is. But she also helps people, people who have struggled with their self-confidence, or body image issues, and I find that admirable. That she could turn it into a successful career—which, shamefully, I had no clue about—is downright impressive. It was then that Mya’s idea made sense. And why having me doing it was the perfect choice. Seeing Reese’s selflessness in helping others is what sealed the deal for me. Unfortunately, I also watched some of the workout videos she posted. Now I know what she looks likes underneath some pretty deceiving clothes, and the sight of her in waist-high, ass-hugging leggings and a sports bra will forever be etched into my brain. Her body? It’s insane. And almost impossible to reconcile it with how she looked in high school. I always thought she was beautiful, but fuck me sideways, she’s downright sexy now. I clear my throat, trying to rid my mind of just how curvy she is, and focus on the discussion at hand.