Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
She choked over a snicker before she sobered and whispered, “I really am sorry.”
“It’s fine. But you should know I’m never going to be able to look at you or my brother again. You ruined everything.”
“River said you were going to text when you were finished at the shop, and Nolan was at the park with his friend Mitchell and his parents, so we thought we were alone. We got…carried away.”
I sighed. “It’s your house. You two should be able to get naked wherever you want.”
“But it’s your house, too.”
I hesitated before I admitted what I was sure was going to come with a ton of resistance. “And I think it’s time that it’s not.”
She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice dampened with hesitancy. “What do you mean?”
“I think it’s time I find my own place.”
“Raven—”
“I know what you’re going to say, Charleigh, and I know you love me and love living with me because, yeah, I’m pretty amazing and great, and like, what crazy person wouldn’t want to live with me? Best roommate ever, am I right?”
I threw as much humor into it as I could before I softened, “But you and River are past the point of needing a roommate. You’re a family now, and it’s time you have the space to be able to build your lives the way you want to.”
“You are our family.”
“I know…but not like that. You, River, and Nolan need to grow together, and you don’t need me standing in the middle of it all the time.”
“You’re never in the way,” she argued.
“I think you really just want easy access to my shoes,” I teased her.
I could feel her grin. “What masochist wouldn’t want easy access to your shoes? Have you seen your collection?”
“Obviously. I am the curator.”
“And a really great one.” With the way her tone went soft, I knew she was talking about more than just my taste in shoes. “I love living here with you,” she added, the words barely a wisp.
I rubbed the heel of my hand at my temple like it could massage away the sting. “I know. I love living with you, too. But it’s time that you have your privacy, and it’s also time that I learn how to live on my own. I’ve lived with River my entire life, and I haven’t had the space to have experiences on my own. The freedom to make mistakes under my own roof. To make decisions without someone looking over my shoulder. I’m ready for that.”
Anxious nerves rolled through my being. This would be a huge step for me.
I’d always lived with my brother. All the way back to when I was a little girl, and he’d stolen me away from the abuse of my father and had hidden me on the streets of LA. All the way through my teenage years and into adulthood.
It hadn’t been a traditional upbringing, that was for sure.
And when Nolan had come into his life, it’d made sense that I would continue to live with them so I could help take care of the tiny baby boy.
But I’d be a liar if I said it wasn’t more than that. A liar if I denied that my fears had held me back. I’d used River’s overprotectiveness as an excuse, acting as if I was the one who submitted to it because it was easier than dealing with him getting all surly and bossy rather than the truth that I’d hidden under it.
Used it as a shield.
As a way to keep from having to face the traumas of my past and stand on my own.
It was time.
Charleigh hesitated, her empathy and intuition kicking in when she asked, “Is this…something you’ve been thinking about?”
“I suppose I’ve been thinking about it for a long, long time. But now with you there? I can’t ignore it any longer.”
“This kind of breaks my heart,” she whispered, sadness and concern seeping into her tone.
“It doesn’t change anything between us.”
“But I won’t see you as much.”
Some of that sorrow invaded my spirit, too. “It just means when we do see each other, it will be a party. A time to celebrate.”
“What are you talking about? Every day with you living here is a party.”
“I know. I know. I am basically a blast, aren’t I?” I choked over it as I said it.
Charleigh let go of a soggy laugh. “The best kind of blast.” Then her voice dropped in affection. “The best kind of friend. The best kind of sister.”
Love pressed full. The first time I’d seen her walking past Moonflower, I’d known there was something about her. Something that had pulled me to her, like my heart had known she was going to become an integral part of our family.
“And you know I feel exactly the same about you.”