Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
“All you need to understand is that you’re mine, and I love you.” I let out a small gasp, and he covers it with his mouth.
Did he really say he loves me? Like really loves me? I might want to punch Heath and Mace on most days, but I love them. But the way I feel about Heath is a deeper different love, and it always has been. For as long as I can remember, he’s been the one.
“Whoa!” I jerk back and almost fall onto my bed, but Heath’s arm holds me tight. “What the hell, Meadow? We hate them,” Briar points out as her eyes widen with surprise in the doorway of my bedroom. That makes two of us.
“Totally,” I agree.
“Hey, Briar, so Meadow is coming home with me tonight so she can hate me from my place.” Heath grabs my stuff and gives my hip a squeeze.
“Meadow can’t stay with you.” Briar tries to grab the bag from him. “I feed her breakfast and pack her lunch.”
“I’ll feed her,” Heath says as he pulls the bag away from Briar.
“I do her hair too,” she protests and pulls the bag to her once more.
“I’ll watch a YouTube video or have a hairdresser come every morning if I have to.” He growls the last part as he jerks the bag out of her grip.
“I’m not twelve. I can feed myself and do my hair,” I say, and Briar purses her lips in disagreement.
“Thank fuck for that,” Heath mutters under his breath.
“Meadow?” Briar’s eyes lock with mine.
“I’m gonna go with him,” I say, and for once I can’t read my twin’s mind. Am I being a traitor?
“Okay.” I watch as she walks over to my closet and grabs a pair of shoes. “These match that outfit.” Briar holds them out, and then Heath lets her drop them in the bag.
“Thank you.” Heath truly sounds grateful.
“Thin ice. Real thin.” She glares at him. “You got me?”
“I’ve got her,” Heath says, and it feels like he’s staking his claim.
“You better. You messed up once.”
“I did what I thought I needed to,” he counters. Wait, what does that mean?
“You’re supposed to be the smart twin. Act like it.” Briar jabs at Mace as if he’s here to hear it before she scoops the kitten off the bed.
“I’ll tell Mace you said that.” Heath’s lips twitch in a half smile.
“See, smart one.” Briar leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be fine. I’ve got three kittens to snuggle with and maybe a lizard.”
“A lizard?!” Briar can do any animal or insect, but I can’t. I’ll scream when I see a spider while she’ll catch and release it.
“This is good timing then. Bugs needs a place to crash.”
“You named the lizard Bugs?” Heath chuckles.
“What do you mean ‘crash’? It’s in a cage, right?” I thought lizards were small, and now I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. You can lose it if it’s small, but if it’s giant it might, well, I don’t know what a giant lizard can do, but I don’t want to find out. “How big is it?”
“You need your toiletry bag.” Briar ignores my question and goes into my bathroom to pack one for me.
“She has a lizard,” I whisper. “What will she bring home next?”
“Don’t worry, Doe, the only pet at my home is you.”
“Funny.” I roll my eyes and pretend to be annoyed, but my body has a different response altogether.
The way Heath winks at me, he must know it, but apparently he knows way more than I ever thought possible.
FOURTEEN
HEATH
“How did I not know you lived here?” She looks around the space as we step inside, and I watch her every movement.
I always had Meadow in mind when I was planning this, but I wasn’t sure until now that she would like it. She seems to appreciate the restored tile floors and the antique railing on the stairs. Most of the woodwork I did myself, but Mace helped me with pretty much everything else.
The two of us bought a pair of historic brownstones that need a lot of work and restoration. Right after college, we knew we needed something to keep us busy, and creating this place for Meadow was my end game. This isn’t just a place for me to stay, but a home for us to raise a family in. Does she see that now when she looks at the room where our kids will take their first steps? Is it weird that it’s what I see?
“Heath,” she says softly as we walk through the living room and to the back of the house.
“Do you like it?” I finally have the courage to ask as she looks at the kitchen.
“Like it?” Meadow looks at me like I’m ridiculous before she goes to the sun porch and stares out at the garden. “You can’t be serious.”