by Rica Grayson
"I can’t sleep here." I put my hands out, indicating the direction of the room. "You're her brother.”
"Sierra, you're a guest." His voice brook no argument.
“It’s not a big deal, Luke. It’s plenty huge,” I told him, patting the space around me.
“You’re not sleeping on the couch,” he said, his expression grave.
Well, it didn’t look like he was going to let this one slide.
“Okay,” I finally relented. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Aw, look at us, all civil. I bit the inside of my cheek.
He led me toward the room, and it looked luxurious. It had a theme of creams and whites. The bed was huge, and the comforter was thick, and it looked so soft and fluffy, and—I let out an embarrassing moan as I sank down to test it. “Oh my God.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m never going to want to get out of this bed. This is a mistake, Luke.”
He laughed, the rough sound music to my ears. I gave him that, and the knowledge filled me with a sense of pride.
“I’ll buy you one.”
He was being ridiculous, but the thoughtfulness made me melt inside. “Luke, it won’t fit in my apartment.”
He should’ve known this. We lived in the same building.
“They come in all sizes.”
“I know, but this seems like the perfect size. You can just roll around the whole day, and you won’t fall off the bed.”
I bounced on it, leaning back until I was two-thirds lying on the bed, my calves dangling down as I stared at the ceiling. Thinking about everything and nothing at all. He dropped down right next to me, copying me.
“That happen often?”
I blinked. “Huh?”
“You falling off the bed,” he clarified.
“No. But it’s nice, having that security. Knowing you won’t fall.”
I couldn’t help but release a yawn.
“I have a big bed,” he said, like that alone should entice me to sleep with him.
I snorted. “I’ve seen it.”
I’ve slept on it. And more. My cheeks heated at the memory.
“You won’t fall,” he added.
I closed my eyes for a bit. I didn’t realize how tired I’d been. “Never know. I still might.”
“You won’t.”
He sounded so sure of it, a smile made its way to my lips.
“Sierra?”
“Mmm.”
My consciousness was drifting, but I thought I heard him say, “I won’t let you.”
The door opened with a rough push, the intruder slipping past my locks.
A man stepped in, his figure covered in dark shadows.
He came back.
My things.
My home.
He took them all away.
The faceless man pinned me down, his weight heavy, his hold like iron. I kicked, to no avail. He stuffed something in my mouth to silence me, until I thought I couldn't breathe.
But suddenly I was awake, and I could breathe, and someone was holding me, but not to restrain. It was firm, but gentle. Not with an aim to hurt, but an aim to calm, to take away the tension and fear that wracked my body.
"Hey. It's okay, I'm here," Luke whispered in my ear. His voice washed over me and steadied me, as he slowly rubbed circles on my back. I slowly relaxed in his arms.
"Bad dream?" he asked. “You’ve had a rough day.”
“He came back,” I spoke in the dark. “And he was… he was…”
I shuddered from the memory. “What if he comes back?”
“You’re okay,” he murmured, his voice reassuring. “We’ll deal with it.”
There was that word again—we.
He held me, until the traces of the dream weren’t as vivid anymore.
He was so warm.
If I wondered why he was in the room, I didn’t ask. Because I was glad, and I didn’t want to pretend otherwise.
I yawned again, this time snuggling in closer. And he welcomed it, his arm around me, like I’d always belonged there.
The steady rise and fall of his breathing was a gentle rhythm.
My eyes grew heavy again, but this time he was right here, and I couldn’t help but feel that nothing ever felt this right.
And even when I drifted off, the dreams stayed away. As if by staying next to me, he warded them off.
I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud.
This bed was luxuriously soft.
I let out a happy sigh, and snuggled deeper. I could sleep on it forever.
My eyes flickered open as I came to wake. The curtains weren’t completely pulled back, so the rays of the sun streamed through the gap.
Then everything that happened yesterday crashed down on me.
Reality was a bitch.
I sat up almost immediately.
A hand went on my stomach and pulled me back towards a body, making me yelp in surprise.
His hand swept over the expanse of my skin where my shirt and shorts parted, and released a sound of satisfaction at the back of his throat. The other night flashed back on my mind. “Morning,” he greeted, his voice husky.
“Luke—”
Then my back was on the bed again, his mouth pressed against mine, his tongue teasing, until the kiss turned deeper, and his hands tangled up in my hair, taking. I kissed him back, matching his desire, trying to tell him everything I hadn’t in words.
When we broke apart slowly, his eyes were clouded with an emotion that I couldn’t read. But even though I hadn’t been able to define it in words, I felt it. The way his gaze ate up every inch of me. The way he held me, firm, but with a gentleness that made me aware he did it with care. And the feeling was overwhelming, I couldn’t speak.
Our breaths filled the silence. Then his forehead dropped until it touched mine.
He moved back and stared down at me lazily, lips upturned.
My thoughts turned fuzzy.
“Missed seeing you wake up last time.”
My heart beat faster with the way he looked at me.
I needed to focus. “Clarisse?”
“She left early.”
He sat up, stretching. He kissed me quick before he said, “Be right back.”
I got up, and was about to follow him when I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Oh my God.
My hair!
I was trying to tame the curly mess when Luke carried two cups of coffee in. He offered me one, which I accepted with delight.
He was watching me as he sipped some coffee. “I like it.”
He was clearly crazy.
“Luke, it looks like a storm happened, and I was stuck in the middle.”
He did a half-shrug, and the look on his face could've melted me. "You look perfect.”
Okay, then.
No fixing the hideous mess. For now.
His phone pinged. He pulled it out of his pocket to check the message, and he stilled.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
He looked at me first, surprise in his eyes. “Liv woke up,” he said, his breath coming out in a rush.
I gasped.
“Luke, that’s great!” I flung my arms around him.
“Come with me?”
There was hesitation in the question, and I realized my answer mattered. He wanted me to come. He wanted me to meet someone who was important to him.
“Sure.”
I wanted to meet her, too. It was partly curiosity that made me wonder what kind of person she was. Because she was lucky to have someone like him in her life.
I carried a bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums and carnations, which I was assured just freshly arrived today. They smelled good, and I hoped it made her day feel a little brighter.
He closed his hand over mine after he parked the car.
Such a simple gesture.
I didn't know how much I needed it until he gave it to me. There was a chance she woul
dn’t be able to stand me, and I badly wanted her to. Her opinion suddenly mattered to me, and I hadn’t even met her yet.
His thumb slowly rubbed the inside of my palm, sending a shiver through me.
My heart sped in response to his touch.
Right.
No sense worrying over things that haven’t happened.
I took a deep, steadying breath. "I got this,” I said aloud, more to myself than to him.
“You’ll be fine.”
“Shhh. No jinxing.”
Humor danced in his eyes as he led me inside.
We entered the room, and it felt like I was holding my breath until I stepped in behind Luke.
We found her sitting up on the bed, putting a book aside.
Luke went forward, and Abe clapped his back and whispered something low in his ear.
“Liv,” he said, his voice strained.
“Luke!” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “I heard you. I heard you.”
Even through the tears, I could tell Liv was pretty. She was around my age, perhaps a little younger. Her eyes were almond-shaped, and it was striking. She looked frail, but something about her eyes told me she was a fighter.
I gave them the space they needed.
“Sierra,” Abe greeted me warmly. “Means a lot that you’re here.”
I could tell that I’d moved him, because it showed in his steady gaze.
It wasn’t really a big deal. She was important to them. And because he mattered, she did now, too. “She’s family,” I said simply.
He absorbed the words, his eyes going soft.
“I was just going to go grab something to eat. You want anything?” he asked me.
I shook my head. “I’m good, but thank you. We ate before we left.”
He stopped by the door, his hand holding the knob to hold it in place. He turned back to face me. “Sierra?”
I didn’t have to wait long before he told me, meeting my eyes, “I hope you know you are, too.”
I’d never had a large family. Suddenly here it all was, too big for me to wrap my head around.
My throat went tight. “Thanks.”
That meant a lot to me. It filled me with warmth, the kind that filled my heart with something huge. And the kind that made my eyes wet.
Friends were the family you chose. And to know that I was one of them, that I was loved and appreciated—to me, that kind of gift was priceless.
Liv suddenly noticed me behind Luke. She wiped her tears quickly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see that you brought someone. Who’s your friend?”
“Hi,” I said as I walked closer, hoping it wasn’t weird for her that I was here. “I’m Sierra.”
Luke put an arm around me, his hand resting on my waist, making the statement clear. I tried to move away, a little conscious of his not-so-subtle declaration, but he held me there.
She blinked. Her eyes went to Luke, then back at me, making the connection. Recognition hit her, and she said excitedly, “I know you. I’ve seen you around.”
What? “You have?”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “You know, I remember you threw your drink on your date once. It was super quiet and all formal, then boom.”
Ah, I remembered that well.
“It was a blind-date Eva set up,” I explained to them. “Apparently she didn’t really know him very well. He excused himself to tell me his wife was calling. Literally just minutes after he proposed a no-strings relationship.”
And that was the last blind-date Eva set up for me.
She snickered. “Seriously?”
I nodded, remembering that at that time, I wish I’d protested harder, so Eva would’ve given up on it.
“Do I know him?” Luke asked beside me, his voice tight.
“Ha. You don’t need to know him.”
“Sierra.” His voice held an edge warning.
“Luke.”
He breathed in deeply.
“It was a long time ago,” I told him.
His arm squeezed lightly around me for a second around me.
“How are you feeling?” he asked Liv.
“As good as I can be, I guess.” Then her forehead creased. “You been getting enough sleep?”
“I will now.”
It was easy to see that there was no resemblance between the two, but no love was lost between them. There was an easy affection between them. It made me miss Eva.
His eyes went to me, and hers followed. She had a knowing look in her eyes.
“Thought so,” she muttered, hiding a smile.
“What?” I frowned. Then remembering the bouquet that I’d been carrying all this time, I held it out, embarrassed to have forgotten. “Oops. Some fresh flowers," I offered brightly. "Freshly picked today, too. I made sure.”
"They're beautiful." Her eyes lit up. “Thank you."
I arranged them to sit on the side-table right next to her. Bunches of other flowers were beside mine. She was loved and appreciated.
She cleared her throat. “Luke, I heard there was some raffle outside. Maybe you’d be lucky this time.”
“I didn’t see a—”
She gave him a look that he finally interpreted, and he muttered something inaudibly. “All right. Be right back.”
The door clicked shut, leaving us alone in the room.
And did she just make him leave without really telling him to leave?
Badass.
She looked really pleased at what she’d done, a grin stretching wide on her face.
"I'm glad. My brother finally found someone.”
“Thanks,” I replied, warmed by her acceptance. The knot in my stomach eased.
“He came back to Fortuity,” she mused. “Honestly, I never thought he would again. He came back for me, but I know why he’s staying.” Her eyes met mine straight on. “And I think you have a lot to do with it.”
I laughed. “No.”
And then I realized she was being serious. “He came to Fortuity because of you.”
“It might’ve been why he did it, but you sealed it. He’d never once mentioned a girl to me, and we’d been talking for a long time. Now you’re here,” she gestured with her arms, like somehow, I was conjured by magic. “He’s gone for you.”
“Liv, we’re still… I mean, this thing between me and Luke—it’s still so new.” I didn’t want her to be making any huge assumptions or expectations about what we were and where we stood now.
“We’ll see.” But she was still grinning.
My eyes were drawn to the cover of the book she’d been reading when we came in.
Then it clicked.
“You’re reading Sherr’s book?”
I wasn’t a reader, but I started one of her books book before, when I was bored waiting for Kate to finish with her patient. It took me two weeks, which I thought was a pretty damn good accomplishment. Then Kate went and said I read like a snail.
“Yes!” she exclaimed, excited. “I don’t know who the killer is yet, but I’ve got a few guesses.”
Luke came back. “I didn’t find a raffle. But Clarisse called, and she said she’s coming soon. And Rob’s—”
Someone knocked on the door. A tall, brawny man came back. “Rob!” came her enthusiastic greeting.
“—and Rob’s here,” Luke finished.
“Liv.”
His fondness of her was clear in his eyes. In hers, too.
His arms went around her, like letting her go was the last thing he ever wanted.
Hmm.
I bumped Luke with my shoulder. He looked at me. I inclined my head towards the two. He sighed and did a single nod of his head.
I made a sign about leaving the room, and he reluctantly followed. When we had a foot out the room, Liv realized what we were doing.
“Where are you both going?” She looked confused.
“Bathroom,” I said in a rush. “Be back soon.”
“Do you think they’ve had a talk? What do you think they�
��re doing now?”
His voice was almost a growl when he said, “Sierra, we’re talking about my sister.”
“Sorry.”
But I wasn’t, really. I was just poking at him, because he seemed to be antsy about leaving them in the room together.
It was fun teasing him.
I was about to make another remark when my phone started to ring.
I pulled it out of my bag.
“Hello?” I answered it.
I froze as the words of the caller registered.
They’d caught the thief.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Night and Day
I stared at the face of the man who’d once told me that dreams were nothing more than foolish ambition.
He’d stomped on those first roots of yearning with a ruthlessness I never fully understood.
It wasn’t enough that he’d left me wondering, for a time, if there was something fundamentally flawed with me.
They'd found him suspiciously lurking around the Denvers’ car, his jacket stuffed with things.
It was one thing to demand money. It was another to steal.
Of all people, what cut was he’d done it to me.
I gave an inch, they took a whole mile.
I had so many questions in my mind. So many things I wanted to say.
All I could ask was, “Why?”
His eyes, beady, stared back at me. If he was trying to project compassion, he failed.
“Sittin’ on all your money, and you won’t give us any. Just got a few stones, and you bitch all about it.”
Luke moved closer, as if to shield me. Fury blazed in his eyes, and although he didn't say anything, I had a feeling if I’d given him a sign, he would’ve punched my father already.
Not that I’d blame him. I was only a hair away from doing it myself. I exhaled a sigh, praying for more patience.
“Some of those stones were also gifts to me. Does that not mean anything to you?”
He only looked more agitated. “It was just a few things.”
“What happened to the money I gave you a while ago?”
“It wasn’t much. It’s gone.”
I sat there, stunned. “It’s only been five months.”
"Five months goes fast."