Page 75 of Unbound

“It’s been in my basement since I built the house. If there was a loose envelope floating around down there, I would have seen it at some point.” I may not spend a lot of time down there, but I do regularly check to make sure both sump pumps are working and that everything is dry. “Before that it was in my aunt’s basement.”

Sybil slides off the bed, getting to her feet. “We have to go to your aunt’s house and look in her basement.”

Fuck. “I knew you were going to say that.” I slide the drawer I removed back into place. “Do you have a plan for how we’re going to accomplish that?” I round the bed to replace the other drawer. “Or do you want to go ahead and tell her we’re looking for a love letter from your dad to my mom?”

Sybil’s eyes widen. “Can’t we just ask your aunt? Wouldn’t she have known if your mom was seeing someone?”

Under normal circumstances, that would be an easy yes. But these aren’t normal circumstances. “If my mom was willing to hide letters from your dad like this, I’d have to assume it’s because she didn’t want my aunt to know about him either.”

Sybil also has a very distinct last name. If my aunt knew her sister had an affair with someone who shared that name, she absolutely would have told me.

I also don’t want my aunt to feel like my mother was keeping secrets from her. It would devastate her. So if there’s a way around that, I’m going to take it.

“Let’s go to the house. You distract everyone, and I’ll sneak into the basement.”

Sybil scoffs. “Why do you get to go in the basement?”

Her offense at not being able to snoop around curves my mouth. “How do you get to the basement in my aunt’s house?”

She purses her lips.

“That’s what I thought.” I hold my hand out to her. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

The drive to my aunt and uncle’s house is not the trip I expected to be taking right now. Instead of dragging Sybil into town for an afternoon of caffeine and exploration, we’re facing an awful possibility that could change everything about the way we see our parents.

And possibly how we see each other.

As we walk to the door, I lean close, voice low. “What’s your plan?”

“Don’t have one.” Sybil gives me a grin in spite of the fucked-up situation we’re in. “I’m gonna wing it.”

I’ve never winged anything in my fucking life, and flying by our asses on this should be the last place I pop that cherry. But I can’t think of a decent plan, so I’m just gonna have to take Sybil’s lead and hope to God she knows what she’s doing.

After letting ourselves in, we find my aunt in the kitchen, racks of cookies lined down the counter in front of her. She barely glances up as we enter.

“Hey, kiddos.” She motions at the vast array spread across the island. “Eat some cookies.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Sybil grabs what appears to be a double chocolate variety and bites into it, moaning around the mouthful. “Oh my God, this is so good.”

I stare at her, completely forgetting why we’re here as she chews through her treat, the appreciative noises she makes shooting straight to my dick.

We could have been fucking right now if my goddamed cousins hadn’t shown up being nosy. She would have been spread across my bed, moaning about a completely different sort of treat. We never would have found that envelope. Never would have had to question her dad’s faithfulness or my mom’s morals.

And possibly never would have found the truth she so desperately wants.

I’ve never been glad I didn’t get laid. Especially when it was someone I want as much as the pretty blonde cramming another cookie in her mouth. But if I have to choose between my dick’s happiness or hers, I’m going to pick her.

Sybil widens her eyes at me. “I thought you needed to pee?”

I blink, brain glitching as I try to remember when in the hell I said that. “Huh?”

She turns her back to my aunt even though Deidre is barely paying attention to us. “I thought you were going to use the bathroom?” Sybil enunciates each word, blue gaze getting bigger and bigger with each one. She jabs a finger at the floor. “Remember?”

“Oh.” Fuck. I’m awful at this. “Yes. I do have to pee.” I glance at my aunt. “I’ll be right back.”

“Whatever.” Deidre waves me off.

Sybil gives me an encouraging smile then slides onto a stool at the island to watch my aunt stress bake. “This is a lot of cookies. Are you hosting a party?”