Page 48 of Let’s Be Real

She tiptoed into the bedroom, making as little noise as possible. I watched her move to her overnight bag, my eyes long since becoming accustomed to the dark, grab her pajamas, and disappear into my en suite.

A few minutes later, she came out, padding toward the bed. I threw back the covers for her, making her gasp.

“You’re awake.”

“Always.”

She slipped into bed beside me, rolling onto her side. “I didn’t cure you?”

“Unfortunately not.”

She lifted my side of the covers, peered under them, and smiled at me. “Plaid pajamas.”

“What can I say? I’m nothing if not predictable.”

Her hand grazed my chest. Before she could pull it away, I pressed it down, my hand resting on top. She scooted an inch or two closer.

“Did Kelly bug you?”

“She didn’t seem to want to be by herself.”

“Oh god, Nate. I’m so sorry.” She let her head fall against my arm. “You probably hate this, don’t you? First Adrian and I invaded your space, and now it’s Kelly and me. You poor man.”

“I don’t hate it. I liked having Ade here. It’s been a long time since we’d spent that much time together. And Kelly…I don’t know what to do with her, but she didn’t require me to say much. Once she’d talked herself out, she sat next to me for a while playing solitaire on her phone while I worked. And she made popcorn…”

Samantha snickered. “One thing the Blackwell girls are always good for is snacks.”

“True. I’ve been thinking about your nachos all week.”

She gasped, her head shooting up. “You should have said. I would have made them for you tonight.”

“Nah. I’m good. But if you’re still here…”

“I’ll make you all the nachos you want. Kelly can make them too. We picked up the skill from our nanny.”

“I’ll wait for you.”

“Okay, Nate.” She yawned and nestled closer. “Think you’re going to sleep tonight?”

“We’ll see.”

Her fingers flexed beneath mine, and her head grew heavier. “Tomorrow, we’re optimizing.”

“Whatever you say.”

I felt her smile against my T-shirt. “I like that.”

I didn’t sleep much, but Samantha, peaceful beside me, made the night pass a lot faster. Even though I was tired and frustrated, I couldn’t help thinking this wasn’t so bad.

Chapter Eighteen

Samantha

I now understood why Kelly had gotten her way all her life. She did the puppy dog thing with her eyes and bottom lip that made it nearly impossible to tell her no. That was how I’d ended up letting Kelly dress me in a pink sundress and agreeing to accompany her and our mother to our mother’s favorite restaurant for lunch. She’d wound me right around her sad little finger.

There were only two table settings when we arrived. Even if there hadn’t been, our mother’s face when she saw me would have revealed enough. She hadn’t been expecting me. Fortunately, a waiter swooped in, adding another set of plates and silverware, and Marla Blackwell played off my presence like it was a lovely surprise.

“You both look nice,” Mom said.