Cal pulled the skimmer out of the pool and flung the collected debris toward the backyard. “What situation?”
I crossed my arms on my chest. “There was some confusion since her ex-boyfriend was there unexpectedly.” I swallowed, hating that I was lying to Cal by omission. “By the time that shit got sorted, they were running late.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her she couldn’t think that way. What’s done is done and she isn’t to blame.”
Cal nodded and put the pole away. “Good. Is there anything else?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Cal jerked his head toward the house. “Go make the bed for yourself. You look beat. I’ll start grilling in a couple hours.”
I’d taken off both of my boots and turned down the covers when I heard a faint cry from Alexandra’s room, next to mine. After the day she’d had, I hurried to her room and checked on her.
The door was open just a crack. I eased it open further and stepped inside.
Her room was dark, but late afternoon sunlight provided enough light for me to see she was still asleep. Then she thrashed to her side facing me.
“No,” she cried softly.
I edged closer and put a hand on her shoulder. “Alexandra. Wake up.”
She jolted and her eyes opened wide. Her chest moved with her heavy breathing.
I squatted beside the bed. “You’re all right. You must have been having a bad dream.”
“Yeah,” she breathed.
Something in her eyes wasn’t right. Like whatever had her spooked was still right there with her. “You want me to lay down next to you?”
She sat up a little, grabbed her water bottle, and took a sip. “It was just a nightmare, Rafferty. You don’t have to—”
I rose and propped a hip on the edge of the bed. “Nightmares are how our brains deal with pain, Lex. I asked you to lean on me for once. That means you aren’t dealing with this shit on your own.”
She glanced up at me. Her eyes were assessing me. “Why are you being so… sweet to me?”
I shook my head twice as my body shook with silent laughter. “I’m not being sweet, Lex.”
“Could fool me,” she muttered, putting the bottle back on the nightstand.
I blew out a harsh breath. “Any man biding his time to get in your pants is far from sweet.”
Her head reared back. “You lie.”
“About what? Every bit of that is true.”
She tilted her head. “You don’t want to get in my pants, Raff. I still remember how clear you made that during—”
“High school?”
She nodded.
“Lex, that was five years ago. We’ve changed, and I’d like to think we’ve both matured since then.”
“Why now? Is it because of the car crash?”
My body went stiff for a long moment. I hated that she thought that, but I also understood why she did. “No, Alexandra. The accident woke me up, but I didn’t know you kicked that asshole to the side.”
