Chastised by a fourteen-year-old, Nadine and I silently trudge out of the media room and back to the kitchen, where we both clean up the messshemade. When it’s finally done, she glares at me. “Neither one of us knows how to work your stupid robot microwave. We burned the first bag of popcorn.”
“Yeah. I got that.”
She flicks her hand toward the cabinets. “And you need the good popcorn with butter. Not that plain, calorie-free stuff. It has no flavor.”
I comb my fingers through my still sweat-damp hair. “My one mission in life, to fill my house with the groceries you want.”
She flings her arm back toward the media room. “Well, it could at least be to make your sister comfortable. You have buckets of money, so you should spend it on her.”
I know that. I’ve already talked to Paisley about it, but Nadine plows on like a miniature bull, stomping around the kitchen.
“You want her to feel at home here, but you’re not doing anything to help her. Of course she feels out of sorts—she’s in a new city, doesn’t know anyone, and you have her sleeping in that hospital room down there.”
“Hospital room?” I live in the penthouse of the most expensive building in Center City. It has a twenty-four-seven concierge service, valet parking, a gym with a full-time personal trainer on-site, as well as an outdoor terrace with a pool. When I begin to inform her of all of this, she heaves an exhausted sigh.
“I understand that this—” she circles her finger in the air “—is nice for you, a twenty-nine-year-old bachelor, but not for a teenage girl. There is nothing here that makes her think it’s her home. You haven’t even tried.”
“Yes, I have.” The ability this woman has to raise my blood pressure needs to be studied, and I whip my sweat-soaked T-shirt off, tired of having it stick to my body. “I’ve been trying. I told her I’d buy whatever she wanted.”
Nadine’s eyes momentarily drift below my chin before zipping right back up to my face. “Your sister doesn’t want to live in a museum for the next four years. Start with bedding she likes, toss a couple fluffy blankets around, buy her art supplies.Try harder, Camden.”
The way she says my name in a plea does something I don’t like, making my skin suddenly cold, goose bumps skittering down my arms and up my spine. Like I’ve been plunged into the ocean.
Blinking away from her defiant stare, I mutter, “Are you always so rude?”
“Only to people who deserve it.”
I grunt and push past her right as the doorman calls to inform me Valerie is here. And I haven’t even showered yet.
“Guess I better go.” Nadine collects her purse and cell phone as Paisley shuffles into the kitchen with the popcorn, which Nadine takes from her to throw away and then loads the bowl in the dishwasher. They hug, signing something I don’t pay attention to while I shuck my sneakers off and run my hand through my hair a moment before Valerie arrives at my door.
She greets me with a kiss, her brown eyes trailing over me, mouth quirked up. “We skipping dinner?”
“No, just haven’t had time to change,” I say, leading her into the house, so she finally sees Nadine next to Paisley.
Valerie stops short, delicate eyebrows winging up. “Oh. You have a visitor.”
From the way she drags her gaze over my bare chest once again, she is obviously not pleased that another woman is in my house.
“This is Nadine Rivera, Erik’s sister.”
Valerie smiles, though it looks like that time she stepped indog shit in NYC. Cameras were there, so she had to pretend she didn’t. “Hi. I’m Valerie Blondeau.”
Nadine lifts her hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you. I was just heading out.” Then she asks me, “You need me tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Same time. Next week will be every day with training camp starting.”
She nods then turns to Paisley, signing, “See you tomorrow.”
Valerie twiddles her fingers at Nadine in some weird girl code that I don’t understand, not catching what my sister signs out of the corner of my eyes.
Whatever it was, it makes Nadine laugh. A great big chuckle that I don’t expect, and I have a hunch it was about Valerie.
I’m not sure how to feel about that, Nadine and my sister teaming up against my girlfriend.
But I have always liked that Nadine refuses to roll over.
CHAPTER 8
