Page 55 of Under the Same Sky

So I do. Until we’re both seeing stars, seeing each other. She cries out, keeping her eyes firmly on mine, showing me all of her, everything inside and out. I grip her neck, spilling inside her, marking her, marking what’s mine. She collapses on my chest, breathing labored, and then smiles, resting her chin on my sternum. “Best. First. Date. Ever.”

“Not done yet,” I grunt, flipping her over. “Not by a long shot.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Reese

Like most people, I always thought happiness was a destination, an end goal, but that was foolish of me. I see that now. Happiness is an experience, a kaleidoscope of moments that clash together to make the perfect pattern. It’s something I’ve learned since my first date with Thorin only three days ago. Before then, I was content with what we have, our lives coming together even in the most chaotic of ways. I was content, and now, watching Thorin play with Eli in my living room while I work on my latest blog post, I’m happy in a way I never expected. I mean, I always knew I would be, eventually, but I never imagined that my happiness would include Thorin. Eli lets out a squeal when Thorin blows raspberries on his tummy, and it brings a smile to my face, watching them bond, and get to know each other.

“You know,” I shut my laptop and place it on the coffee table before joining them, “the point of tummy time is that he actually be on his tummy.” I take Eli’s little hand in mine, and he wraps his hand around my index finger, giving me a gummy smile. “Ain’t that right? Uncle Thorin is doing it all wrong.”

Thorin rolls over onto his side, and rests his head in his palm. His eyes are bright, reflecting everything I feel inside and then some. “I think Uncle Thorin knows exactly what tummy time is.” He winks, and when my cheeks flush with color, he grins, more than likely recalling the tummy time we had this morning. I resist the urge to shiver at the recollection playing out in my own head, because my, my, it was delectable. And a first for me. Who knew being flat on my stomach with my legs crossed could make me feel tighter, and him bigger. I lean over Eli, and plant my lips on Thorin’s, loving the way he smiles against my mouth. I do that a lot these days, kiss him because I can. Mya strategically posted photos of us from our first date on both mine and Thorin’s social media accounts, officially announcing to the world that he’s very much taken. Admittedly, her idea of cross-promotion has worked really well, for both of us. And so have the workout videos we’ve been doing together. Sneaky bitch that she is, she posted a few candid videos of us exercising together, one of me lying beneath him and sneaking kisses while he did push-ups, and another of me sneaking kisses while I did sit-ups with Thorin holding my feet on the floor. We were being silly that day, but I’ve discovered he can be very motivating when he’s in the gym with me. Not that we’ve labeled what we are, exactly. Boyfriend-girlfriend seems too juvenile at this point. Thorin pulls his head back. “Keep that up and we’ll have to let Mya have Eli for the day so I can have you.”

I roll my eyes. “You have me every day.” Which he does. Not even my period stopped him. Another first for me, and I didn’t exactly hate it.

“Then what do you want to do today?” Thorin asks. He picks Eli up, and lays back down. I’ve noticed he loves doing that, having Eli on his chest. He mentioned once that when Eli is feeling squeamish, as soon as he hears Thorin’s heartbeat, he settles. I don’t blame the little fella, I feel the same way when I lay my head on Thorin’s chest. “Well, I have a few things to finalize with Mya before the launch next week, but then I was thinking we could take Eli to the stables. He likes the horses, stares at them the entire time, and then laughs when they nudge him with their snouts.” He’s a Decker, that’s for sure, already loving the horses like his daddy and uncle did at his age, and now that spring is finally here—my favorite time of year—I spend more time outside with him when I’m not working. Everything that was once dead is now coming to life, filling the ranch with a myriad of colors, and a new season seems fitting, especially for me and Thorin. It’s a Saturday, and the ranch is free of construction workers. As excited as I know Thorin is about the studio—and maybe a little less excited about having to wall-off the front end of the property—I like the quiet. Mya is next door, probably with Fletch, so it’s just me and my two favorite guys. “And I planned a picnic. It’s warmer out, I think he’ll like it. What about you?”

“I’m going to check in with the guys while you’re busy with Mya, and then I’ll join you for that picnic. Guys want to go out, and have a few drinks tonight.” Thorin wrinkles his brow. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea, though.”

“Still worried about Carson?” Even though Carson apologized to me profusely, numerous times, about what happened with Jessica, Thorin, Fletch and Benji have been watching his every move. I know Alex gave him an ultimatum—booze, and drugs, or the band—but even I can see he’s been making an effort. And I kind of feel bad that Eli and I have been monopolizing Thorin’s time. I don’t think a night out with his friends is a bad idea.

“He’s been trying,” Thorin admits. “Hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol since the last bonfire, and he’s been hands-on with helping build the studio, but part of me will always worry that he’s going to go back to his old ways, choose the liquor and the coke over the band.”

I let out a breath, and lie down next to him. “Give him a chance to redeem himself, I have a feeling without you and the band he has nothing and no one. You’re his family, and I think he deserves a second chance. Just give it time.”

Thorin cranes his neck, and looks down at me, his arm around my waist, hand on my butt. “How do you do that?” He asks, is expression one of awe.

“Do what?”

“Forgive so easily?”

I think about it, and then reply, “Easy. I choose to see the good in people, and leave it up to them prove me wrong. We’re not inherently bad people, Thorin. Life happens, and as cheesy as it sounds, it either makes us or breaks us. Which one it is, is a choice we make.”

“You, Reese Hayes, are one of the strongest people I know. How’d I get so lucky?”

His words wrap around me, warm me right down to my soul. Rather than reply with words, I kiss him, reminding him that as lucky as he is to have me, I’m just as lucky to have him. Eli makes a noise, and when I glance down, I see his fist is in his mouth. “Someone’s hungry,” I laugh. Thorin and I both sit up, and I make Eli a bottle. He’s eating way more than when he first came home from the hospital, and after his first check-up, we were elated to know that he’s healthy, and growing as he should be. I hand the bottle to Thorin just as my phone chimes on the kitchen counter. It’s a text from Mya.

You guys need to get here, now. You have a visitor.

That’s strange. We weren’t expecting anyone today, and the buzzer for my house didn’t go off. Thorin had a security system installed, with cameras and everything for both houses. “Uh,” I look at Thorin. “That was Mya, she said we need to go next door because we have a visitor.” She said I have a visitor, but I haven’t thought of myself as a singular in weeks. I’m part of a we now, an us. A package deal, so to speak. I’m not sure exactly when that happened, it just did. Thorin stands, cradling Eli in his arms. “Okay.” He takes the warm bottle from my hands. “Let’s go check it out. Were you expecting someone?”

I shake my head. “No. Your mom wasn’t planning on visiting again until next week, but maybe she came early?”

“Doubt it.” Thorin leads the way to the front door. “I booked her plane ticket.” He gives Eli his bottle, and how the man is able to walk and feed Eli is beyond me, but he does it without any effort at all, and Eli, bless him, doesn’t fuss like he sometimes does with me. We cross the path between the two houses, sharing a look when we see a black Range Rover in the driveway. Voices come from the kitchen, and when we walk in, my steps falter, my world as I know it once again thrown off-balance. Sitting at the kitchen counter is my dad. Mya and Fletch both glare at him, and I feel Thorin’s body go rigged behind me. Dad sits upright when he sees me. It’s been almost nine years since I last laid eyes on him, and time has not been kind. His once dark brown hair is peppered with gray on the sides, lines mark his face beside his eyes, and it’s easy to tell they’re not laugh lines like Maggie’s.

“Reese.” Hearing him say my name is so foreign, and yet, it’s not.

“Dad, w-what are you doing here?” My own voice sounds foreign to me now, the word ‘dad’ feeling all kinds of strange, and unfamiliar.

“Well,” he sighs. “Turns out your boyfriend and his band hired my construction company to build a recording studio and erect a wall.”

Fletch frowns at Thorin. “Did you know about this?”

“Of course not,” Thorin replies, careful not to upset Eli by raising his voice. But I detect the anger in his voice. Hell, I can feel it coming from his entire body. He steps closer, placing his left arm around my waist. It’s a protective stance. Naturally, we ignore the boyfriend comment because, well, my dad is here. In Horseshoe Bay. On the ranch. And his construction company…

“And Benji?” Mya asks. She’s never met my parents, but she knows my story, knows what my parents did, and why I haven’t spoken to either of them since I left for college.

“Benji wouldn’t do that,” Thorin says, sounding irritated that she would even think Benji would do that to me.