Breakfast

Breanna

Hearing what Rick said, Breanna looked at her mom and asked, “Sleeping Beauty?”

Her mom giggled and replied, “Yes, earlier he referred to you as Sleeping Beauty. When you were asleep on the couch last night and this morning, Tyler saw you as he left for a run.”

Turning her face downward to hide her blush, Breanna thought to herself, A run? How can that guy have so much energy after everything that happened last night? And he said he didn’t sleep properly either.

As if reading her thoughts, Rick added, “Don’t worry, he wouldn’t do anything weird to you while you were sleeping. He’s not like Prince Charming in that sense.”

Just then, Tyler walked into the room, his timing impeccable. “What do you mean I’m not like Prince Charming?” he asked, smirking.

“I wasn’t talking about your looks, son,” Rick replied. “I meant you wouldn’t take advantage of a sleeping woman.”

Chuckling to himself, Tyler said, “No, Dad… never to a sleeping beauty.” He thought to himself, I prefer her awake.

Catching the insinuation, Breanna glared at Tyler. Rick kicked him under the table.

“Sorry, I was only joking,” Tyler said with a sly smirk.

Annabel smiled warmly and said, “It’s fine. I’m sure Bre understood it was just a joke. Right, dear?”

Forcing a smile, Breanna replied, “Yes… Mom. May we eat now?”

“Of course,” Rick said.

The meal passed mostly in silence, though Tyler couldn’t stop stealing glances at Breanna.

Tyler sat across from Breanna, while Rick sat across from Annabel. Breanna ate slowly and cautiously, keeping her eyes on her plate.

“So… my dad mentioned this morning that you’re on the dean’s list,” Tyler said casually.

Bre sighed and responded, “Yes. I’m also part of the student council, and I’ve never had a GPA lower than 4.0.”

Tyler thought to himself that Breanna wasn’t just a beautiful woman—she was smart, too. His dad had mentioned that Annabel was an attorney. Beauty and brains must run in the family, he mused.

“That’s very impressive, Breanna,” Rick said sincerely.

“Oh, Rick, the trip,” Annabel suddenly said.

“Oh, yes,” Rick replied, clearing his throat. “Annabel and I will be leaving tomorrow for a trip. We’ll be gone the entire weekend, so you two will have the house to yourselves. Don’t worry, though—there’s plenty of food, and I’ll leave each of you a bank card in case you need anything.”

“What the hell…” Breanna whispered to herself.

Annabel quickly reassured her, “You can have Jake and Kallie stay here for the weekend in the guest room.”

“Ty, why don’t you go to a friend’s house for the weekend?” Rick chimed in.

Smiling, Tyler replied, “I’d rather stay here and adjust to the new house. Maybe I should invite some friends over too.”

“That’s a good idea,” Rick said. “We trust you two. I know you’re both responsible and trustworthy, so do as you like this weekend.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Tyler said with a sly smile. “I’ll definitely do as you say.” Under the table, he gently ran his foot along the inside of Breanna’s leg.

Breanna looked up at Tyler, her expression unreadable, then turned to her mom and said, “Mom, I’ll text Kallie right now about this weekend.”

Frustration flickered in Tyler’s eyes as Breanna tried to ensure they wouldn’t be alone. To get her attention, Tyler “accidentally” dropped his phone. As he reached down to pick it up, he leaned under the table and let his hand trail up Breanna’s skirt, brushing against her inner thigh.

She snapped her legs shut, trapping his hand between them, but Tyler’s strength was undeniable. Slowly, he withdrew his hand, his touch lingering just enough to fluster her further. Breanna’s face flushed hot, but she tried her best to maintain her composure.

Just then, Rick’s phone rang, breaking the tension.

“Hello, this is Rick… Yes… I see… Well, it can’t be helped. What time tomorrow? Sounds good, thank you,” he said before hanging up.

Annabel looked at him with concern. “Everything okay, dear?”

Rick sighed and replied, “The truck that was supposed to deliver Breanna’s bedroom set got a flat tire, so they won’t be able to deliver it until tomorrow morning.”