Without even looking at Skye, I knew my aunt’s word vomit was going to come up later. She’d want every meaning unpacked, and she’d definitely want to know if any of it was true.
I squeezed Skye’s hand. “You pick.”
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
She stepped forward and grabbed a puppy. It was a thick little black one with oversized paws. As soon as she held him up, he looked straight at her and started licking her cheeks.
Skye giggled. “Definitely this one.”
“I’ll take that one.”
“Sounds good. I’ll have him ready for you in the morning.”
“Cool,” I said. “I’ll send the money after dinner. I don’t do transfers on an empty stomach.”
“Boy, whatever. Go wash up. Your uncle should be home soon so we can eat.”
She walked out of the room.
Just as I headed out behind her, Skye stopped me, her hand closing around my arm. “Ocean, we need to talk.”
“Yeah, I know. But let’s eat first. I damn sure can’t havethatkind of conversation on an empty stomach.”
She squeezed my arm. “Fine…for now.”
15
SKYE
It was well after midnight, and the thunder echoing through the night made it impossible to sleep. I’d never been good with storms. They always left me uneasy. Normally, I’d reach for my earbuds and drown everything out, but they were nowhere to be found.
Knowing I’d never fall asleep on my own, I pushed my pride aside and tiptoed my way to Ocean’s bedroom.
Hopefully, he wasn’t asleep yet.
“How long are you going to stand out there?” Ocean called out from the other side of the closed door.
“How did you know I was out here?”
“It’s thundering and lightning. I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up.”
“But how did you know I was out here at this very moment?”
“Because I heard your little feet tiptoeing down the hall.”
I pushed the door open. “Are you saying that I wasn’t being as quiet as I thought I was?”
“Let’s just say, I was hoping to hear you.”
Heat settled in my cheeks, and my body started to tingle. It was so hard to have zero emotions when it came to this man. Healways knew the right thing to say, and it tugged at the weakest parts of me.
I stepped inside, my toes sinking into the plush gray rug beneath my feet.
The room was surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, making the rain impossible to miss as the storm carried on outside.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked.
