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Owen texted me at seven forty-seven to let me know that practice was over and he was heading back to pick us up. After Barb and I had talked with things settled as to where I was going and what our plan was for the next few days, I had hugged her again and even walked into the kitchen and made John surrender and give me a hug, too. He just responded with his normal grunt but he did have a twinkle in his eye and squeezed me back during the hug. I had kept myself busy making sure everything was prepped for the next day. Now, I let Barb know that Owen was on his way. Nate handed me his tablet as I stretched out my hand for it. I turned it off and laid it on the table.“Are we not going home, Rory?” He asked me with a tilt of his head.“Not tonight, buddy. Your daddy is still not feeling good so we need to let him rest.”“But who’s gonna take care of Daddy while he is sick?”“I made sure he was okay before I left.” The lie tasted so bitter on my tongue. “He just needs to get a good night
The moment the gates opened and Owen drove us through, I felt like I had crossed over into another dimension. The paving on the road was immaculate, not a pothole in sight. The grass seemed brighter, lusher. Owen clicked the button to roll the windows down so that we could see better instead of attempting to look through the dark tint.Even the air smelled better here, though I had to be imagining that. But it seemed crisper, cleaner with maybe just a hint of sweetness to it that I had never experienced before. The landscaping was impeccable, not a blade of grass out of place or uneven and every flower properly mulched.Owen pulled forward to an intersection and turned right. He was rolling along without tapping the gas, just letting Nate and I both take in the scenery around us.“The road just makes one big long rectangle perimeter with just two entrance gates.” He explained as we inched along. He pointed to the first road that we came to on the right. “Each little side road has just
“Owen, how do you not get lost in a house this big?”“I guess I have just gotten used to it but I know, it’s a bit much. This is the biggest estate in the community. It belonged to my dad’s parents so this is actually where my dad grew up. After my grandparents passed away, he didn’t want to sell it so we just moved here. He has already asked me if I will keep it in the family and not sell it. I promised him that I wouldn’t. So, I guess I will be raising my family here one day, too.”I suddenly felt like a gold digger, having had thoughts just moments ago about it now being my dream to live in Urban Crest. I tried to shake those thoughts, that connection out of my head. Owen living here and my dreams to better myself were two totally different things. Weren’t they? Why did I always associate something good with it somehow not being something that I deserved? I wanted to love Owen for himself and not for what he owned or how much money was in his bank account. I knew I wasn’t that kind
I shook the thoughts from my head concerning the epiphany I had just had regarding my deceased mother and my previously assumed routine trips to the community pool. Just another fragment of my innocence lost as I transition to adulthood and another reminder of my shattered youth. I would have to keep the lid tightly closed on that box or I might end up needing therapy before I can even graduate high school. I probably do anyhow but who can afford it. At the end of the walkway, Owen moved around us and opened the door ahead. We entered into a larger hallway that dripped a refined sense of elegance and sophistication. The floors and walls were all of a highly polished black walnut, including the intricate carved crown molding along the trim of the floor and ceiling. Each piece of art or decoration was there with purpose, as a statement of extravagance and prodigality.“This is what is called the East Wing. This is where my bedroom and a couple of the guest bedrooms are. My parents have
I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped before I tried my best to keep a straight face.“No, you don’t need to jump on the bed. Why do you want to jump on the bed?”He looked at me like it should have been obvious. “Rory, that’s a good jumping bed!”“And exactly how do you know that?”Once again, this time with an eye roll. “I’m a kid! I can just tell!”“Still! We are guests here, Little Man! We can’t just go jumping on other peoples’ beds.”I ignored the pout, purposefully turning away from him as I walked toward the two doors that were closed. I opened the first one to reveal a small walk-in closet. I say small but it was still almost the size of my former bedroom at Phil’s house. There was space on both the left and right sides to hang clothes. The one on the left had double hanging space while the one on the right was designed for longer garments. Each had dozens of empty hangers just waiting to be used.The back wall had floor to ceiling shelves of various heights for storage of
Owen stayed close watching Nate, in case he took a tumble, ready to catch him if he needed to. I busied myself settling in for the night, hanging the clothes I had brought with us in the closet. As soon as I had it all put away, Owen said he was gonna go take a shower and for me to text him once I had Nate asleep.Nate had definitely exhausted some of his pent up energy on his makeshift trampoline. He climbed off of the bed once I announced that it was bath time and followed me in, stripping his clothes along the way. He was as equally excited about the size of the tub, exclaiming that he could really swim in it.I turned on the water, adjusting the temperature. The tub was so tall that Nate could not climb over the side by himself, although he tried a couple times. It might have been manageable with clothes on but that would have defeated the purpose of the bath to begin with so I had to lift him up and over and into the water.I pulled the vanity chair over. It was the perfect heigh
Owen waved his hand in front of my face with a devilish glint in his gaze, letting me know how much he was enjoying this. I hadn’t heard a word he said to me. Not one word. Not only that, I had been caught brazenly staring at his naked delectably muscled chest and become so lost in the appreciation of the view in front of me that I had totally zoned out.I tried to comprehend what was happening and what I had missed as I looked at his outstretched hand, holding several books out to me but that made me even more confused. What had he said? I looked up into his eyes and must have had a ‘deer in the headlights’ look. Just as the roaring rush of my heart beat calmed, he flashed me another brilliant smile and the room was suddenly way too hot and he was standing way too close.“You didn’t hear a word I just said, did you?” He asked me, calling me out.I admitted it completely with a shake of my head. “Afraid not. Whatever it was, you’re gonna have to repeat it.” I answered as I closed my e
Having sent those texts, I was already blushing to almost on fire when I met Owen at the door. I knew he was just on the other side waiting for me, that heart stopped gorgeous dimpled grin spread across his perfect face. I knew he would give me that look that made my knees weak and as I swung the door wide, I was not disappointed. The butterflies danced away inside while goosebumps raced their way up and down my arms just from the smoldering gaze I encountered as we locked eyes and for just a few seconds, time seemed to stop.He held out his hand for me and as I took it, he pulled me slowly out the door. I pulled the door back, leaving it open just a crack and leaned in to listen, to make sure Nate hadn’t stirred. Satisfied that I wasn’t hearing any sounds, I stepped away from it and back toward Owen.“Don’t worry. We are just gonna be next door here and we can keep the door open. If he wakes up and calls for you or comes out into the hallway, we can hear him.”“Thanks and thanks agai
I opened the door and walked out, leaving it partially open again. I rapped lightly on Owen’s door as I skipped up to it and waited just a few seconds before opening it slightly. He answered for me to come on in, so I did.He was sitting at the L-shaped desk already dressed in t-shirt and jeans and it looked like he had been working on homework. He turned to look as I walked in and he quickly stood up, walking toward me to greet me in his bare feet.“You look amazing this morning, Aurora.” He said as his eyes raked up and down my body, his gaze lingering hungrily on my long legs in these black shorts. “Damn!” He said with an appreciative sigh.“You like my outfit, then?”“Yes, very much. I never imagined someone could look so casual and comfortable and still so sexy and mouthwatering at the same time but you have managed to pull it off.”“Thank you, I think.”He gave me that devilish smirk that heated my cheeks as well as sent a flush through the rest of my body. “Trust me, it was a c
I glanced at the time on my cell phone again. It was now four in the morning and I had a choice to make. Lay back down for the next two hours and toss and turn where my mind was now on overdrive or make the best of the extra time I now had. It would be hard to pass the time unless I kept myself busy. Right now, I wanted nothing more than to wake Owen up and tell him everything that had been said in that conversation but I wasn’t about to risk both of us being dead tired tonight when Nate was barreling full steam ahead.I was thinking about what I could do to pass the time when I realized with everything that had happened last night, I hadn’t even touched my homework and I had assignments to complete in almost every class. So much for free time but I could at least be thankful that I now had time to get it all finished so I was not showing up to class unprepared.But before I started that, I wanted to get my shower and soak up the heat and steam. This morning, I needed the shower to wa
My phone blared in the dead of the night, causing me to scramble from the bed as I hurried to answer it quickly so as not to wake Nate. Owen was no longer in the bed, having went back to his room as soon as I fell asleep, I would assume. Grabbing it up, I hit silence giving a brief glimpse back at the bed to make sure Nate hadn’t woken up as I rushed into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. Even before I looked at the display, I already knew who this was and what conversation was getting ready to happen. I just needed confirmation of the time it was occurring. Three forty-six in the morning. It took him that long to wake up and come around enough to miss us in the house.“Hello.” I hissed in a loud whisper as I hit the accept call button and brought the phone to my ear.“Aurora! Where the hell are you and where is my son?” His voice was strained so I knew he was angry but that it was causing him too much pain if he tried to raise his voice or get himself too worked up. That coul
“I won’t lie to you, Aurora. He might. But that will be a true measurement of his character, not yours. He knows how much Nate loves you so hopefully, he will not be that spiteful to try to keep him from you. He was the one that screwed up. He became belligerently drunk and attacked you. When he was supposed to be the responsible father and pick his son up from school, too. You were innocent in all of this. So, if push comes to shove, you may have to remind him of that and how easily you could have called the cops on him and didn’t. I still want you to but I understand why you didn’t and why you can’t right now. I don’t like it but I understand.”“Hopefully, the hangover and the damage to his body will be enough of a reminder to not only force him to get some help with whatever he is going through but also to solidify that I can take care of myself and that I kicked his drunk ass all over the place. I know you technically did but he will never know that. When I confront him, I’m gonna
“Thank you, Owen.” I answered, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world to have this amazingly handsome, incredibly sexy guy with a heart of gold as my boyfriend. I hoped Owen was sincere with everything he said because he could be the one to finally heal my heart and my mind and help me rid myself of all the demons from my past.“Now, as bad as I hate to change the subject and talk about that useless piece of mud, I need to know what happened earlier before I came in. If you can talk about it, that is. I don’t want to bring anything up or have you tell me if it’s gonna upset you again.”“No, I’m okay. I think I can talk about it.”“Okay, first of all, this is nothing sexual but I need to know if he left any marks on you.”“Barb and Darcy helped me check earlier in the bathroom so I know where they are.” I answered. I pulled the sleeve of my shirt up to expose the fingerprints on my arm. They were a deep, gnarly purple now. They didn’t really hurt but they did look bad.“I’m gonna
I freeze, every muscle paralyzed, as I feel Owen’s lips brush a light kiss on my cheek, just a hairbreadth from his lips touching mine. So close that if I were to just move, our lips would touch. By the time the thought registers, he has moved away. My eyes flutter as he leans to the other side, brushing the same light stroke against the other cheek before he pulls back again. As my eyes meet his, I see a fire burning deep within them but I am confused and torn.“You didn’t kiss me.” It wasn’t a question.“I did.” He answered as he rubbed his thumb across my lower lip again with that same look of what I can only describe as longing. “Just not the way you may have expected.”“You don’t want to kiss me?” I now ask as my voice cracks, feeling I have misread him entirely. I am fighting this onslaught of emotions from doubt to betrayal, from longing to rejection. I blink hard to control the flood of feelings that has burst forth suddenly, threatening to pull me under and drown me in my mis
Having sent those texts, I was already blushing to almost on fire when I met Owen at the door. I knew he was just on the other side waiting for me, that heart stopped gorgeous dimpled grin spread across his perfect face. I knew he would give me that look that made my knees weak and as I swung the door wide, I was not disappointed. The butterflies danced away inside while goosebumps raced their way up and down my arms just from the smoldering gaze I encountered as we locked eyes and for just a few seconds, time seemed to stop.He held out his hand for me and as I took it, he pulled me slowly out the door. I pulled the door back, leaving it open just a crack and leaned in to listen, to make sure Nate hadn’t stirred. Satisfied that I wasn’t hearing any sounds, I stepped away from it and back toward Owen.“Don’t worry. We are just gonna be next door here and we can keep the door open. If he wakes up and calls for you or comes out into the hallway, we can hear him.”“Thanks and thanks agai
Owen waved his hand in front of my face with a devilish glint in his gaze, letting me know how much he was enjoying this. I hadn’t heard a word he said to me. Not one word. Not only that, I had been caught brazenly staring at his naked delectably muscled chest and become so lost in the appreciation of the view in front of me that I had totally zoned out.I tried to comprehend what was happening and what I had missed as I looked at his outstretched hand, holding several books out to me but that made me even more confused. What had he said? I looked up into his eyes and must have had a ‘deer in the headlights’ look. Just as the roaring rush of my heart beat calmed, he flashed me another brilliant smile and the room was suddenly way too hot and he was standing way too close.“You didn’t hear a word I just said, did you?” He asked me, calling me out.I admitted it completely with a shake of my head. “Afraid not. Whatever it was, you’re gonna have to repeat it.” I answered as I closed my e
Owen stayed close watching Nate, in case he took a tumble, ready to catch him if he needed to. I busied myself settling in for the night, hanging the clothes I had brought with us in the closet. As soon as I had it all put away, Owen said he was gonna go take a shower and for me to text him once I had Nate asleep.Nate had definitely exhausted some of his pent up energy on his makeshift trampoline. He climbed off of the bed once I announced that it was bath time and followed me in, stripping his clothes along the way. He was as equally excited about the size of the tub, exclaiming that he could really swim in it.I turned on the water, adjusting the temperature. The tub was so tall that Nate could not climb over the side by himself, although he tried a couple times. It might have been manageable with clothes on but that would have defeated the purpose of the bath to begin with so I had to lift him up and over and into the water.I pulled the vanity chair over. It was the perfect heigh