“We have to remember Danny, too. We’ve only been apart for three weeks and that’s not long enough for him, or anyone else, to understand why we’re moving so fast. It’s going to seem like we’ve been going behind his back and having an affair. I can’t hurt him like that and I don’t think you can, either.”
Skylar grits his teeth and clenches his jaw. I can see the veins in his neck start to throb and his eyebrows furrow together.
“How long are we going to cater to Danny’s feelings?” Skylar barks and moves away from my hold on his face.
I’ve known Skylar for too long and I know what he’s planning. He’s going to run and try to protect himself. That’s just not something I’m prepared to let him do. Skylar’s in this with me and we’re going to do this together.
“Hey, don’t even go there. You know as well as I do that he’s a very important part of our lives. We’re not just going to trample all over that so I can clutter your bathroom with tampons and makeup. We have the rest of our lives to live together and drive each other crazy. Let’s just slow it down a little.” Skylar’s face softens a little at my assertiveness and I think he knows I mean business.
Skylar steps back to me, taking me in his arms and lifting me off the ground. I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist and plant a bunch of kisses all over his face. I don’t know how I’ve kept my hands to myself all these years because now every time I’m within ten feet of Skylar I want to take his clothes off with my teeth.
“Plus, don’t you dare think we’re not going to christen every inch of this apartment. I’ve got plans for that kitchen.” Skylar’s eyes start to glaze over. I’m sure he’s thinking of bending me over the kitchen counter or fucking me against the large window in the living room. Now that’s not a bad idea.
“I feel you, Sweets. As long as you stay here with me a few nights a week, I’m sure I’ll live,” Skylar says dramatically, setting me back on the ground.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Skylar
The last few weeks have been amazing. Just like I promised, I signed the lease for the loft the Tuesday after I showed it to Mira. I moved in the following weekend and Mira’s spent almost every night of the week here with me.
Since Mira works for Jacoby and has a pretty good relationship with him, he’s allowed her to transfer to the downtown office so it works out better for her to stay here. She still refuses to move in officially, though.
Mira did make good on her word and we ended up making love in every single room of the house, the bath tub being her favorite. Every time she sets foot in the bathroom it’s like a switch goes off and she turns from my sweet innocent Mira to a sex-crazed maniac; and I love every fucking minute.
I’ve been spending less and less time at the clubhouse and more time here with Mira. We have a routine and it works for us; we’re almost like an old married couple. I really wish she would just bring over the last of her stuff and permanently live here, but I know she’s struggling with hurting Danny.
I haven’t talked to him more than a few times since Mira and I got together. Mira calls him religiously every few days but he always cuts her short. I know she’s hurting and I wish I could make it better, but I’m in no place to ask Danny to talk to her. As much as he doesn’t want to see it or admit it, he gave up Mira for me; like I did for him our freshman year.
I’m having a house warming party tonight, even though I tried to argue about it, Mira was adamant. She threatened me with pussy and I can’t say no, although no man should be held to anything he says when sex can be revoked; I agreed under duress.
Mira’s out at the grocery store picking up things to cook for tonight and left the housework to me, which is a dummy move; I suck at cleaning and she knows it. When Mira gets home, carrying six bags through the door, it looks like she’s bought food for two weeks.
“What all did you buy?” I’m betting that she forgot the beer.
“A little bit of everything. I don’t know what I want to make yet so I grabbed everything I needed to make a few different things. Can you go to the car and get the beer and the wine?” That’s my girl, never forget the beer.
I take the elevator to the parking garage below the building. When I get to Mira’s car, I find the beer and wine sitting pretty on the back seat and a single rose with a note attached.
Meet me in the bathroom.
Well, fuck, here we go again. Three hours until my guests get here and my girl wants to be fucked before the party begins. Maybe she senses my stress and wants to make sure I have a good time.
I walk through the door to the apartment, put the beer and wine in the fridge and head straight to the bathroom, kicking my shoes and shuffling out of my jeans as I walk. When I walk into the bathroom, I’m beyond confused.
Mira’s standing in the middle of the bathroom, fully clothed and grinning like the Cheshire cat. She’s holding her driver’s license in her hand like it’s the Holy Grail.
“I don’t get it,” I say, staring at her while only wearing a pair of boxers.
“Look at it.” Mira shoves her license at me and starts to dance around. Is she on something?
I look at it, still confused. Nothing seems different and it’s not even a new picture. I look at her and she’s losing patience as she takes the license from my hands, flipping it over and handing it back to me. When I see what’s on the back, I almost lose my shit.
“Are you for real? Mira, please tell me this is for real.” I see why she was so excited because I’m barely able to contain myself. I need Mira to confirm before I lose it.
“Yeah, babe, I’m for real. Are you happy?”
“Happy? Fuck, Sweets, I’ve never been happier. Welcome home,” I say, pulling her into my chest and kissing her harder than I ever have. Mira’s officially changed her address; my home is her home.
After a round in the bathroom and one in the bedroom, we quickly shower and get ready to meet our guests. Our guests. I don’t know what changed her mind, but I don’t even care. I’ve never wanted to be this kind of man before; the man that’s chained to a woman, living with her and having her pollute my space with her girl stuff. Mira makes me crave being that person.
Apparently Mira didn’t go to the grocery store, only the liquor store on the corner. The bags she carried in contained the rest of her stuff from the apartment. I wasn’t lying when I said she basically lives here and had next to nothing left back in Ann Arbor. Instead of Mira cooking a meal and appetizers for our friends, she ordered a few pizzas and wings, which was my first choice anyway.
Kylee is the first person to arrive and I’m surprised when she walks in alone. She’s carrying a bottle of tequila in one hand and a bag of limes in the other.
“The party’s arrived.” Kylee kicks the door closed behind her and makes a beeline for the kitchen. Grabbing the shot glasses that are above the sink, she gets to work pouring three shots.
“Is that Kylee?” Mira yells, coming out of the bedroom, pulling her hair up in a ponytail. I don’t need to answer; Mira sees Kylee and runs into the kitchen. These girls probably spent all morning together and they’re acting like they haven’t seen each other in years.
Mira asks me to come into the kitchen and take a shot with her and Kylee. I accept the offer and realize I’m going to be in for it, spending time with these two. No matter how old they are, Kylee and Mira are still like teenage girls when they’re together. I really do love seeing Mira so happy and I know it’s bound to get tense when Danny gets here in a little while. We might as well enjoy the time we have, while we have it.
“Here’s to bad ass lofts downtown,” Kylee says, putting her glass in the air.
“Here’s to living the dream,” I say, putting my glass with Kylee’s; waiting for Mira. Mira looks lost in thought, like she’s trying to think of something witty.
“Here’s to my heart choosing the right man.” At the same time, we all lick the salt from our hand, take the shot and bite into a sliver of lime.
&
nbsp; Every time Mira says “My heart chose you” my own heart does something funny inside my chest. It constricts so tight, like I’m having a heart attack, but when I open my eyes, my emerald eyed princess is staring back at me, so in love. Love really does hurt, but it hurts so damn good.
More party guests start to arrive and in true Kylee fashion, she hides her bottle of tequila in my and Mira’s bedroom; sneaking away every once in a while for a quick shot. Everything is going great. My close friends from the club decided to come, my parents are here and Danny’s mom is, too. The one person we’re missing is Danny. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s actually busy or if he doesn’t want to be here.
Mira places the call to the pizza place to order a couple more pies; more people have showed up and we’re running low on food. Mira and I are making laps around all of our guests, telling them the good news about Mira moving in. Everyone seems to be happy for us, even Danny’s mom.
I hear a knock on the door, assuming it’s the pizza guy and rush to answer it, letting Mira catch up with Mrs. Thomas. I open the door without checking the peep hole and find Danny standing on the other side with a bottle of white zin in his hands; Mira’s favorite wine.
“What’s up man? Glad you could make it,” I say, clapping Danny on the back and taking the wine to put in the fridge to chill.
“Mira said she really wanted me to come by, so I figured I would.” Danny’s obviously not showing the same level of excitement that I am. I know it’s awkward for all of us to be together but him and Mira to not be, but I miss my friend.
“There’s some pizza and wings in the kitchen and beer in the fridge. Make yourself at home, dude.” I really am trying to not be irritated with his attitude but with every smug look he gives me, I want to tell him how I really feel.
“No, that’s okay. I just came by because Mira begged me to.” The way he keeps talking about Mira is pissing me off. He’s my best friend and it was my text that initially invited him. When I wasn’t getting a response, I asked Mira to talk to him. I’m glad he’s here but he needs to lighten up.
“Danny, what’s going on? I asked you to come, too. This is my and Mira’s home and we invited you. Talk to me, bro.” I guess Mira hasn’t gotten around to telling Danny, not that she had time, but the shocked expression on his face kicks me in the gut. This is exactly why Mira didn’t want to move in and I understand it more now than ever.
“I’ll just go say hello to Mira and then be on my way.” Danny’s voice is flat, without any emotion. He walks to Mira, who looks extremely happy to see him, and gives him a hug. I try not to feel jealous but it’s hard to see another man with your girlfriend, especially one who knows her like you do; who’s been what you are to her.
Danny and Mira only talk for a few minutes and I guess he’s telling her about his early departure time since her face drops and she looks sad. Mira gives him another hug and her smile isn’t quite reaching her eyes before he turns to walk back to the door.
“Danny, can we talk before you leave?” I really want to clear the air. This isn’t our friendship; we’re open with each other and talk about everything.
“Skylar, I don’t want to ruin your party. That’s why I didn’t want to come but Mira insisted. I thought it would be okay, but it’s not. This is awkward and you’re supposed to be my best friend and all I want to do is punch you in the face right now. I know we talked and I gave you my blessing but this is just too much. You guys are moving faster than I ever thought you would. To be honest, I thought you guys would last a few days, at most. I love you brother, but right now I don’t like you very much. To keep it real, I’m going to say it and say it only once. If you hurt her, I will fucking kill you. Do you understand?” Danny’s within inches of my face and behind him I can see Mira’s body tense, like she’s waiting for shit to pop off.
“That’s something you’ll never have to worry about. I understand you’re protective of –her—we all –are—but if you think you’re going to come into my home and talk to me like that, you’re dead wrong. Brother or not, next time you come at me like that I’ll knock your head clean off your shoulders.”
Danny doesn’t back away but holds his ground. He’s more than pissed and hurt, he’s downright angry as hell. I can’t blame him, though. If the situation was reversed, I would probably say the same thing, but as a man, I have the duty to protect what’s mine; my woman, my home and my club.
“You might be a biker now, but you don’t scare me. Mira’s a part of me; she always will be. The first time she calls me crying that you hurt her, I’ll snatch her back in a heartbeat. She’s too good for you. Fuck, she’s too good for either of us.” The punch to the gut turns to a jolt to the heart.
“I know, Danny. She’s perfect and belongs so high on a fucking pedestal where nothing can hurt her. I can’t promise that I won’t hurt her, but I can promise that I’ll love her forever. She’s too good for anyone I’ve ever met. And Danny,” I get as close to his face as I possibly can without actually touching him, “she’s never going back to you. You’re never going to have that chance. I’ll never let her go and you might want to start getting used to that now so we can get past it and be what Mira needs us to be for her.”
With that last statement, I let Danny walk out the door. I didn’t expect our friendship to be perfect, but I didn’t expect that either. He’s hurting and I can’t blame him. If Mira walked away from me right now, I would die inside, and it’s a part of me that could never be resurrected. She’s everything to me.
“What the hell was that? A pissing match?” Mira walks over and puts her hand over my chest. I’d be surprised if she couldn’t feel how hard my heart is pounding.
“Something like that. One day it’ll be okay again, just don’t hold your breath, okay Sweets?”
“Yeah, babe. Okay.” Mira gives me a kiss and returns to Kylee and Amy in the corner. I’m sure they’re all talking wedding details.
I wonder how long I have to wait to ask Mira to marry me. I know it’s too soon now; she’d freak the fuck out. I can’t wait for the day that she’s Mrs. Mira McBride. The thought alone makes my dick jump. Weddings, babies, happily ever afters; I want all of that with Mira by my side. She’s the only one I have ever seen sitting with me when I’m old and gray.
The rest of the party goes off without a hitch. The first ones to leave are the parents and the rest of the older crowd followed by Trevor and Amy. The club guys stick around until about eleven and Kylee ends up crashing on the sofa. All that sneaking back to the bedroom for tequila shots put the redhead on her ass.
It’s a little after one before Mira and I have the place kind of cleaned up and are heading to the bedroom. Mira’s complaining that her back is killing her, so I draw her a bath with her favorite bubbles. As soon as it’s ready, I carry her to the bathroom, help her strip out of her clothes and gently lower her into the bath.
I think about joining her, my dick’s certain it’s an excellent idea, but she looks so worn out, I do the next best thing a man can do. I bring Mira her Kindle. She’s been reading this book for days, which isn’t typical for her. Mira can finish an entire book in one sitting, but with all the prep for the party and work she hasn’t been able to finish. All she keeps talking about is, “I need to know who Laney chooses” or “I’m so team Evan it’s crazy” or my absolute favorite “Where the fuck is a Sawyer when you need one?” Really, if I have to hear about this Evolve Series by S.E Hall again, I’m going to kill myself.
When Mira finishes her bath and her book, I help her pruned body out of the tub. I even brought in a towel that’s fresh from the dryer and her night clothes. I want her to know that I love her and appreciate her. Mira’s my dream come true just as I’m hers. When she thinks about all the things I forget to do or don’t know to do, I want her to remember little things like this.
Mira climbs into bed and scoots almost to the middle so I can hold her. I never thought I would like holding a woman, I usually like my own space,
but Mira makes me want to hold on and never let go. I can smell the body-wash on her skin and it’s doing things to me that aren’t appropriate when I’m just trying to be a good boyfriend. It’s not more than a few minutes and Mira’s breathing evens out and she’s fast asleep.
I lay awake for a little while longer, just thinking about how lucky I am. I know that Danny and I will eventually get back on track and we’ll be friends again, but that doesn’t matter when I think about what I’ve won. I have the girl, and as she says it, she didn’t choose me, her heart did. I couldn’t change that if I tried and Danny will eventually have to get over it.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Danny
I really don’t like Christmas, nothing’s changed. It’s still hard without my dad even though it’s been so long. With it only being two days away, I’m dreading the trip home. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see my mom and Skylar’s family, but it still stings knowing my dad won’t be there to put the star on the tree.
Sitting in the dining room, I’m having my coffee when Mira strolls out of the bedroom, hair messy but looking as beautiful as the first day I met her.
“Mornin’ Mira.” Mira slightly smiles, still not awake.
I hand her the cup of coffee I already poured for her, just the way she likes it. Mira casually sits at the table, palms holding her head up before she takes the cup and slowly sips. Since I got her hooked on coffee in college, she can’t fully wake up until she’s had at least a cup or two.
“Why did you let me sleep so late?” Mira asks, rubbing the side of her head.
“You had a lot to drink last night. Don’t you remember dancing on the coffee table with Kylee?” That was hilarious. Those two are a riot when they’re together.
Awakening (Book 2) (The Destined Series) Page 17