Asher pulled back, taking a longer look at my face. I had no clue what he saw, but his look turned to Jasper, and some sort of understanding passed between them.
***
I wasn’t sure if I was thankful, or sad, that I wasn’t able to help paint. Splatters of gray were in everyone’s hair. Even mine, even though all I did was sit there and watch everyone else. I did fill the buckets, or pick upthe dropped brushes here and there, but mostly, I sat along a wall, watching and trying to not think.
It’d have been smart for me to sneak off to take a nap, most likely in Jasper’s bed if it weren’t for the fact that it was currently covered in plastic wrap, protecting it from the paint that was now drying.
Although, having four people painting, they were moving quickly. The entire upstairs was already almost done, all in a pretty gray color. The bathroom was more of a grayish blue, which matched the newly installed tiles really well. And that was saying something from someone who didn’t know color schemes.
“Shoot,” Noah mumbled as the brush fell from his hand, again.
“How many times is that now,” Beckett asked, glancing his way.
“Uh…I lost count.”
“Hmmm.” Beckett turned back to rolling the paint roller back over the wall. “I think I counted ten so far.”
“No, that was fifteen.”
“Asher!”
“What?” He turned to look at Noah, then me. “We made a rule in the car on the way here. Every time Noah drops the paint brush, he gets a spanking on his behind.”
“You do too!”
“Only if I drop mine. I have yet to do so.” Asher even stuck out his tongue. “And it was your idea.”
“I remember another rule someone made,” Beckett uttered. “If we smart off, thatboygets five each time.”
Asher grimaced. Maybe he forgot that little tidbit.
“Yeah, right.”
“It’s okay. It’s all agreed on between them.” Jasper was quick to add in.
“I figured,” I spoke slowly. “Two years gave me time to…uh…read.” The internet was strange, but held so much information I never thought to exist.
“Oh?” Why did Jasper seem surprised about that? He almost dropped his brush, but caught it in time. “I know you read, but want to enlighten me?”
“I learned new recipes.” I knew that wasn’t what he was wanting to know, and I felt a tiny bit giddy to know I could keep secrets.
Sure, I had read. Some strange things, for sure. But there were a few authors that I read through every single book ever written. Sweet romances that made me want things I didn’t know were a possibility. Things that spoke to me in a way I hadn’t understood before.
Some of that was the reason why I started a blog. One that no one in this roomknew about, and I hoped to keep it that way for now.
“Recipes, huh?” Jasper’s glance was full of humor.
“Did they contain dicks? Or boobs? That’s super important.” Noah so helpfully asked.
I spluttered out a cough, not expecting that.
“Food, Noah. Bread and pies.”
“Oh.” His shoulders dropped. But then, he perked up right away again. I already knew I didn’t want to know what he was thinking. “Do you like dicks or boobs? Still important info to know.”
“How many spankings does he get if he asks those kinds of questions?” I asked Beckett, trying to not freak out that I was asking him a question.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper’s wide grin as he climbed down the ladder.
