She chuckled. “Thank you, Uncle Ryan. I am a princess, and she is a queen.”
I laughed. “That sounds about right.”
We clambered into the car together while Blaire navigated using her GPS. The roads were starting to become more familiar, and when I turned to Blaire, I said, “Are we going to one of the places we saw when I was showing you around the city?”
She grinned. “We certainly are.”
“Ah, I thought as much. You had your eye on a few places that day.”
“Yeah, and this place looks amazing.”
Then I burst out laughing when I saw where she had taken us. The familiar restaurant was brimming with people already.
“Hot dogs? Did we really dress up for hot dogs?”
Blaire burst out laughing. “Hey, it’s my last night. I couldn’t leave without having these again. I thought you might say no if I suggested it, so I decided to pretend we were going somewhere else. Who knew I was such a hot dog person? And I thought I’d throw you off by making you dress up.”
Trinity giggled. “Yay! Can I have the chocolate milkshake, Daddy? Can I? Can I?”
Reed laughed. “Of course you can. I think that’s what we’ll all have, actually.”
We got out and made our way to the table that she had reserved. I looked at her and shook my head. “I cannot believe we are having hot dogs for third time since being in Seattle.”
“Trust me,” she said, “neither can I. This is the last thing I expected to eat while I was here. It’s probably a good thing that we don’t have one by us. I seem to have no control when it comes to this place.”
“Is it really your last night?” Trinity complained.
I smiled sadly at her. “It is. We have to go back. But I promise we’ll visit again soon.”
“What about Blaire? Can’t she stay?”
I put a hand to my heart. “Oh, Trinity. You hurt your uncle with your words. So would you rather I stay or would you rather Blaire stay?”
I could see that she took the question seriously. She looked from Blaire to me and back to Blaire again. “Can you both stay?”
I smiled. I knew she wanted Blaire to stay, but she didn’t want to hurt my feelings. Her voice had come out timid and soft when she asked the question.
“We’ll come visit soon,” I said. “And you can come and visit us too.”
“That would be cool! Can we daddy?” she said and turned to Reed. “Can we go and visit Uncle Ryan and Blaire? It will be fun. We can go on the plane. And we can even bring Blaire hot dogs to eat so that she doesn’t miss them too much.”
Reed grinned. “Sounds like a plan. But aren’t you sick of your Uncle Ryan? I mean, I had to live with this guy for many years. I used to get sick of being around him.”
She chuckled. “No, I don’t. He’s cool.”
“Am I cooler than your dad?” I said to her.
Her eyes widened. “I don’t know.”
Blaire shook her head. “How can you make her choose between her dad and her uncle? You boys are so cruel. Is this what it was like growing up in the Maxwell family? I can picture this back and forth going on all the time.”
“Oh, growing up in the Maxwell family was something else, let me tell you. You had to be tough. I mean, five brothers together and one father. Can you just imagine the level of testosterone that was running through that house? We also have a whole bunch of male cousins who we used to be close with back in the day. That’s a lot of boys and not a lot of girls. Imagine!”
Blaire shuddered. “I’m not sure I want to know. That must’ve been something. So, did the two of you always get along?”
I looked at Reed and chuckled. “Not really. I mean, look at us. We’re complete opposites. I always wanted to go out and see my friends, and Reed just wanted to read his books. Hey,” I said and laughed. “I just realized that your name is Reed and you like to read. Why have I never noticed that before?”
Reed laughed. “You haven’t? I thought that all my life. Well, you see, it’s because I’m the smarter one. It took you all these years to figure that one out.”
“You may be book smart, but I’m street smart,” I said.
“Actually, I can’t deny that. We were polar opposites. But to be honest, it wasn’t that we didn’t get along or that we fought or anything. We just sort of went about our own lives. I think that’s what happens when you have so many brothers. You’re not forced to get along with each other. You just do your own thing. And, as he said, I was more interested in the characters in my books than the people around me. I used to sometimes wish I was more like Ryan,” Reed admitted to Blaire. “Not that I ever told him that, though.”
“I don’t believe you,” I said. “You have never once told me that you wanted to be like me.”
“It’s true. And of course, I didn’t tell you! You were always the super cool one. Everyone wanted to be like you. Everyone wanted to actually be you. You were the popular one. I used to look at you and wonder how you got to be so cool and confident.”
I laughed. “Really? That’s not how I saw it at all. I always wanted to be more like you. I mean, you could sit for hours and read, and then you’d spurt out all this knowledge that you had learned. I would read one page and then get bored. I felt so stupid around you. I used to think that it was unfair that you had all the brains. I hated feeling like I didn’t know anything.”
Reed laughed. “If only you had told me that growing up. I had no idea.”
“Ah, look at you boys now. Finally admitting that you like each other,” Blaire said and chuckled. “Actually makes me wish I had a sister now.”
I grinned at Reed. “I guess it’s not all that bad.”
“Nah, it’s not. But let’s not tell the others.”
“Oh, we’re definitely not telling them!” I said.
“I also don’t have any sisters,” Trinity said to Blaire and could sense Reed stiffen beside her. I was hoping that this wouldn’t be the time that she suddenly brought up the conversation about her mother.
Thankfully, Blaire came to the rescue. “I have an idea,” Blaire said. “Why don’t we become sisters? I’ve always wanted a younger sister.”
Trinity’s eyes widened in excitement at the thought. “I’ve always wanted an older sister. This is so cool. Daddy, can Blaire become my sister?”
Reed laughed and shot Blaire a grateful look. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
Trinity beamed. “This is so cool.”
We had a wonderful evening eating burgers and drinking chocolate milkshakes, and for a blissful hour, I didn’t even think about my head. I was still taking Advil until I figured out what I was going to do. The pills, with the combination of the company and the food, worked wonders for me that evening. I was glad that we had decided to go out. The busier I kept, the less likely I was to go into depression. Although, I could feel it creeping up on me, rearing its ugly head. I was going to have to deal with the situation soon enough. But not now.
“Daddy, I need to go to the bathroom,” Trinity said suddenly.
Trinity was known for needing the bathroom out of the blue, so this was nothing new for us. Reed nodded and started to get up, but Blaire stopped him.
“I’ve got this,” Blaire said. “Come on, sister; let’s go together. I also need to go.”
“Bye, Daddy, I’m going to the bathroom with my sister,” Trinity said, and Reed chuckled.
The moment they were gone, Reed turned to me. “Oh good, I hate bathroom duty. I used to take her into the men’s room with me when she was younger, but now she insists on going to the women’s. I get a lot of funny looks from the women in there.”
I laughed as I pictured the scene. “Knowing Trinity, she just does it because she knows it makes you feel uncomfortable. Well, she has Blaire now.”
Reed smiled. “She’s a good person.”
“Trinity? Yeah, she’s a great kid.”
He laughed. “No, not Trinity! Blaire. I liked her when I first met
her, but I was worried that she was going to turn out to be fake. But, now that I’ve spent a few days with her, I can honestly tell that she’s a genuine person.”
I grinned. “I think so too. She has a way of making everyone around her feel good, doesn’t she?”
“She does. And Trinity has taken to her big time. I think she’s done Trinity a lot of good this week. I actually didn’t realize how much she needed something like this. Although, she’s going to be sad when you guys leave.”
“I’m glad, Reed. We should come more often, that way she won’t feel sad when we leave.”
“You should come more often. And bring Blaire with again. Hang on to this one, Ryan,” Reed said. I was surprised because not so long ago he had told me to be careful of her.
“You think?” I said.
“Oh yeah. Come on, we both know you’ve been with some really shitty girls in the past. I’ve never before seen you look at someone the way you look at Blaire. I can’t believe how little you’ve known her. The two of you look like you’ve known each other forever. You’re very comfortable together. This one is worth keeping. Don’t let this one go.”
I was just about to say something else, but Blaire and Trinity were walking back toward us. They looked adorable in their matching blue outfits, and I noticed that so many people had stopped to look at them walk. It was hard not to feel happy at the sight of them. Blaire smiled at me as she got back and I thought about what Reed had just said. He was right. I didn’t want to let this one go.
When we got home, we said our goodbyes and made our way to the back house for our final night together. A strange sensation had come over me after the talk with Reed. I couldn’t stop thinking about how good I felt when I was around Blaire.
“You’re smiling,” she said to me.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Were the hot dogs really that good?” she said.
I laughed. “Oh, Sunny, it’s not just the hot dogs that are making me smile.”
There was no more doubt in my mind. She was the one that I wanted to be with. I wasn’t going to tell her yet how I felt. It was still too new in my own head to comprehend, and I didn’t want to mess it up. But there was something else I could do instead . . .
Chapter Twenty-Two
Blaire
It had been a wonderful night, but rather bittersweet. I was actually going to miss being in Seattle with him. I was going to miss Trinity, and going out for hot dogs, and even talking to Reed. But mostly, I was going to miss being away from real life and waking up to Ryan. He said I should stay with him when I got back, but we hadn’t spoken much about that again, so I didn’t know if it was even going to happen. Or if it should. Because what exactly were we to each other? We still hadn’t talked about it. All these thoughts were running through my head while we made our way to the back house. Ryan seemed to be in his own world too. He hadn’t said much, but when I turned to him, he was smiling. I laughed and asked him if the hot dogs had put him in a good mood.
He chuckled. “Oh, Sunny, it’s not just the hot dogs that are making me smile.”
“Oh yeah? You know . . . I was thinking,” I started. I slowly took off my blue dress while he watched, smiling at me.
“Keep thinking . . .” he said. “I like this.”
I grinned. My dress was now off, as were my shoes. I started to take off my bra, and then pulled down my panties. “It’s been a long day, and I could do with a nice hot shower. But . . . I get awfully lonely in there.”
I walked to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and walked in. Moments later, Ryan had joined me.
“You poor thing. I can’t have you feeling lonely.”
I chuckled. “I’ve got to say; I’m very impressed with how quick you were to take your clothes off.”
“I’m glad that speed goes over so well with you,” he said and joined me under the tap.
The warm water washed over us, as he took me into his arms. He kissed me passionately until I couldn’t figure out if I was wet from the excitement or the shower. But when he reached down and placed his fingers inside me, my question was answered. I’d never had sex in a shower before. I didn’t even think it was going to be possible. Ryan and I were incredibly compatible lying down, but I was much shorter than him. Ryan, thankfully, didn’t seem to find this a problem. As he kissed me, he lifted me up and placed me on the little step that went around the perimeter of the shower. It put me at exactly his height. I grinned at him.
“Oh, hi there,” I said.
Ryan reached for the soap, and began rubbing it all over my body. The water was warm against the front of my body, but my back was cold against the tiles. The sensation of the hot and the cold seemed the elevate my excitement to a whole new level, and when he let the soap drop to the floor and knelt down to put his tongue inside me, I thought I was going to explode. I held onto his wet hair, massaging into it as I groaned and groaned. I thought about telling him to stop so that he could come too, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak. Instead, I opened my legs wider and let him lick and suck me into orgasm. My entire body gave in to him, and once it was over, I just stood there, my back still against the wall and the water washing over me. When I opened my eyes, he was staring at me, smiling.
I sighed happily. “That was amazing. Come inside me,” I said when I saw just how hard he was.
“Are you sure?”
“Oh, I’m sure,” I said and bit my lip.
He walked back up to me, kissed me passionately, and pushed me against the wall. It was more difficult standing up, but it didn’t take too long for him to finally slip inside me. I groaned with pleasure at the feeling of him, and held onto his waist while he thrust against me.
“Oh, Blaire,” he moaned. “I’m going to come already,” he said.
I wrapped my hands around him and pulled him against me and watched as he cried out in pleasure. He came within seconds, biting my neck and holding onto me with all that he had. I held on tight so that he wouldn’t fall out of me, and when he came, I felt myself coming all over again. Sex in the shower was a first for me, but so was having two orgasms in the same evening.
“Hot dogs and sex,” I said. “I’d call that a very successful evening.”
“I’d say,” he said. “I also won’t be able to look at a shower in the same way again.”
We finished washing up, climbed out of the shower, and hopped straight into bed without any clothes on. I cuddled up against him and listened as he fell asleep. I was glad to hear him sleeping and happy that I had managed to take his mind off everything that was going on. I knew that Ryan was only pretending to be okay. I was sure that he was freaking out inside about what was really happening. And truthfully, I was freaking out too. Ryan was about to go through one of the toughest moments of his life, and there were some very big decisions coming his way. I couldn’t even imagine what he must be going through, and how hard this must be on him. I still had no idea how he felt about me. But it didn’t really matter because no matter what I was going to be there for him as much as let me.
I turned around and watched him sleep. He looked peaceful, and a small smile was playing on his face. It was a complete contrast to the way he had looked after his appointment with Reed. Watching him now, I knew without a doubt that I was starting to fall for this guy. I just hoped that he felt the same way.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ryan
I was sitting on the plane with Blaire, and we were just about to take off. It had been sad saying goodbye to Trinity that morning. She’d cried and begged Reed not to make her go to school that day because she was too sad. But he made her go and told us that it was the best thing that he could do. She’d get to school, see her friends, and forget that she was sad. But it still wasn’t nice to say goodbye. She seemed particularly sad at saying goodbye to Blaire.
“Goodbye, Seattle,” I said as the plane took off.
“Goodbye, hot dogs,” Blaire said mournfully.
I chuckled. “Is tha
t what you’re most sad about?”
“Well, that and Trinity, of course.”
I sighed. “Yeah, the poor thing. She’ll be fine, though. I’m sure if we stayed there another week she would’ve just gotten bored with us. Well, maybe with me. I think she was pretty smitten with you.”
“To be honest,” Blaire said, “I was smitten with her too.”
We landed and made our way to the lot where I had parked my car while we were away. It wasn’t five minutes after we had parked our car that Blaire’s phone rang.
“Must be Katie,” she said as she fished for her phone from her bag. “Hello?” she said into the mouthpiece.
I noticed that she was frowning.
“Hello? Who is this?” she said again.
“Oh no, is it that creep again?” I asked her.
She nodded.
I pulled over and took the phone from her.
“Hello? Who is this? Listen here; I want you to know that we are going to the police. You better not call again, and you better stop harassing Blaire. Get a life!”
I cut the call and handed the call back to Blaire. It took me several minutes to start the car again because I was trembling so much.
“What the hell?” I said to her. “They didn’t call once when you were in Seattle. This is so weird.”
Blaire looked around nervously. “Do you think someone is following us?”
I looked around but didn’t see anything unusual. “I have no idea. But we are definitely going to the police. Let’s go right away. This is ridiculous. This person has called too often now. Surely that counts as harassment.”
She nodded. “I agree with you. This is so horrible. I’ve been feeling good all week. I really thought that this whole thing had just stopped. Now I feel like they were just waiting for me to come back, which sort of creeps me out even more.”
We made our way straight to the police station. That in itself was a mission as nobody seemed to worry too much about the fact that we needed to speak to someone. The police were all busy with someone else. I understood that our situation was not an emergency, but they didn’t know that. Eventually, a man called us up to the counter, and we explained the situation to him.
Dirty Roomie_A Maxwell Family Romance Page 57