Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I got lost in my data, and the next time I looked at the clock, it was the afternoon. I knew the crew would be wrapping up for the day soon, and I headed back downstairs.
“Hey, Adam. We’re getting very close,” Shawn told me as I walked into the kitchen and saw that most of the backsplash tile had already been placed. “Still needs grout, of course, but you can tell how good it’s going to look.”
“It’s going to be amazing,” I said. “You guys are the best.”
“We’ll be finishing up that portion tomorrow,” Shawn said. “Just about wrapped up for today.”
I glanced around the kitchen, looking behind the cameras. “Have you seen Chase?”
“He headed out around ten minutes ago,” Shawn said. “Got all the shots we needed for today.”
My heart dropped.
“Oh,” I said.
I didn’t know why I should feel so surprised. Chase didn’t always say goodbye to me before leaving for the day, and it wasn’t like he owed it to me. But I felt his absence more than I would have liked to admit. I stuck around as the Fixer Brothers and the rest of the film crew wrapped up for the day, and I gave the guys a hand hauling out a few boxes of extra tile.
“See you in a couple of days,” Shawn said out front as he waved goodbye. “I assume you’ll enjoy the days off without all of the sawing and hammering noises while you’re trying to work upstairs.”
He flashed me a smile before hopping in his van and heading off. I made my way back inside, shutting the front door behind me, finally in the silence of my own home.
The silence that usually was like paradise to me.
Right now, it felt different. Hollow, even.
I never would have thought that I could miss the construction sounds and the bustle of tons of people in my space, but I stood in my entryway and felt a strange emptiness hit me, wondering where the hell it came from.
I really did miss it. I missed the guys, and I wished I could have had the chance to tell Charlie the truth, even though that was unrealistic. I even missed the cranky director, Flynn, who looked at me like I was an idiot every time I was dorky on camera.
And I could picture Chase in every corner of this house now.
My solitude was peaceful, but it was… incomplete.
I headed through the construction zone chaos that was my kitchen and then went back upstairs, pushing past the double doors to my sunny bedroom balcony. I sat back on one of the lounge chairs, letting the summer wind hit me.
I pulled out my phone.
No new messages from Chase.
No new messages from ChillyIcyBlue, either, which I never could have known was something I could miss so much.
I’d only closed my eyes to rest for a moment, but when I opened them, the quality of light on the balcony had completely changed. I blinked my eyes open, seeing that the sun had dipped below the line of trees.
I checked my phone and saw that I’d apparently napped for two hours without realizing it. I’d had some vivid dreams, too, which came back to me all at once, in a rush.
Some of the dreams had been about Chase. Ones where he’d been in control of my cock, edging me and edging me but never letting me come.
Really fucking hot, no matter how sexually frustrating they had been.
But there had been other moments of the dreams, too. Silly, funny, comforting ones, where we’d been in bed together or chatting about simple stuff, and one where we’d been making outlandish desserts together.
Tell people when you’re thinking about them. I remembered the piece of advice from yet another list I’d read, trying to improve my social skills over the years.
Screw it. What did I have to lose?
I pulled up my texts with Chase.
Adam Richardsen: Crashed so hard into a nap on my balcony just now. Dreamed that we created our own dessert salsa.
I stuffed my phone in my pocket.
I knew I couldn’t expect quick responses. I’d never been a big texter to begin with, and with Chase especially, I knew I needed to reel in my expectations. For all I knew, he could be dick deep in another guy right this moment, or out at one of the many bars and clubs he loved to party at.
But when my phone buzzed a minute later, it didn’t stop my heart from doing a little backflip in my chest.
Chase Blau: Dreaming about us being sweet salsa tycoons? Give me the details. Was it berries?
I smiled to myself.
Adam Richardsen: This one involved chocolate. The dream is a little hazy, but maybe it was sort of a cherries and chocolate situation. I do remember we made millions from it, though.
Chase Blau: Dessert salsas and filthy videos. Our claims to fame.