After Dark
Page 14
“Oh, God. You mean Matt’s money?”
“Why not? His money is mine. He said so.”
“Han … it is too beyond fucked-up for me to get handouts from the brother of the guy who got me pregnant, okay? And—” She frowned. “Wait. Shit. Did you tell Matt?”
“No! God. I told him you’re pregnant.” I held up my hands. “That’s it. Not, like, who.”
“You can’t tell him.”
“Trust me, I won’t. I think he’d kill Seth.” I wanted to kill Seth. Matt really might. I shuddered. “Look, I need to get back to the office, but let’s meet again. This weekend, maybe?”
“Sure, whatever.”
“Okay. I’ll call you. And please—” In the movie of my life, I would touch my sister’s hand and look earnestly into her eyes, and tell her everything would be fine. In reality, I fumbled with my purse and frowned at her cigarette. “Quit smoking until you’ve made up your mind.”
I hurried back to the office. A fine, cold sweat gathered on my brow. The spare aesthetic of the agency seemed ominous that day, the air laced with guilt.
My instincts told me to run home to Matt. Now was not the time to start hiding things from him. I was already dodging the Children Discussion.
But I couldn’t tell him about Seth. Seth, of all fucking people …
I popped my head into Pam’s office.
“Yes?” She glanced over her computer.
“I read the full manuscript I requested, and I’m interested in representing the author.”
“Great. I’d like to take a look at it, if you don’t mind. We can discuss it.”
“Of course.”
“And you’re good to go this weekend,” Pam added.
“Excuse me?”
“You needed Friday off?”
“Uh, no.”
“Well, you’ve got Friday off. Matthew called. Something about a trip.”
Heat spread across my face. My fists tightened.
“Oh, right … the trip. I forgot. Thank you, Ms. Wing.”
* * *
I returned to the condo later than usual, around seven.
Matt hovered by the door.
As soon as I let myself in, he tugged me into his arms.
“Missed you,” he whispered. I stiffened in his hold, but he didn’t seem to notice. “I made dinner. Mexican…” He padded over to the kitchen table and gestured to a plate of taquitos. I grimaced. As usual, he’d made the whole box—all twenty-four—and half of the rolls looked suspiciously dark. He saw me eyeing them.
“I did this half in the oven. Then I did this half in the microwave, since—”
“I’m not hungry.” I plopped my purse on the counter.
Normally, Matt’s pitiful cooking attempts melted my heart, but not tonight.
“Oh.” He shifted the plate. “Well, they got cold anyway.”
“And you really need to stop making the whole box. Make, like … half.”
“Oh. Yeah…” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his shoulders sink.
“It’s too many.” I slapped the counter. “It’s a waste. We can never eat them all, and then they sit in the fridge getting stale, okay? I feel like that’s common sense.”
“You’re right. I…” He began to pile taquitos in his palm, as if he could somehow salvage them. He paced across the kitchen, frowned, and then returned the rolls to the plate.
“And you need to stop going over my head at the agency,” I snapped.
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb.” I whirled toward him. “You called Pam and got me Friday off with your stupid M. Pierce influence and I am tired of you Sky men trampling over my life and clearing my fucking work calendar like I’m a child who can’t—”
Matt snagged my wrist. With one terse tug, he reeled me into his arms.
This time, I crumpled against him.
“I’m sorry.” His soft voice thrummed through me. I listened to his heart and smelled his clean, strong body. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Oh…”
“Hannah, I want you to meet my family, too. Properly.”
I hid my face against Matt’s chest. I had definitely not met Matt’s aunt and uncle properly at his phony memorial.
“And I thought we could fly east a day early. I want to show you some things.”
“What things?” I peeked up at his smooth jaw.
“Surprises, little bird.”
Simply standing in the circle of Matt’s arms eased away the rough edges of my day. I let myself forget about Chrissy and Seth … and Katie. Anyway, I didn’t plan to ask Matt about the things Katie had said—not until I heard more and determined how much I believed.
I kissed his throat. He sighed and I trailed the tip of my tongue up his neck.
“Hannah…”
“I missed you today.” Through the fabric of his shirt, I brushed a thumb across his nipple. He responded impulsively, his groin pressing my belly.
“Babe.” He cupped my face. “Are you okay? Lately you…”
My poor sweet Matt. He struggled, and failed, to articulate my crazy mood swings.
“I’m fine now.” I raked a hand down his spine and slid it into the back of his shorts, my nails teasing over his ass. A tense moan sounded in his throat.
“Why not? His money is mine. He said so.”
“Han … it is too beyond fucked-up for me to get handouts from the brother of the guy who got me pregnant, okay? And—” She frowned. “Wait. Shit. Did you tell Matt?”
“No! God. I told him you’re pregnant.” I held up my hands. “That’s it. Not, like, who.”
“You can’t tell him.”
“Trust me, I won’t. I think he’d kill Seth.” I wanted to kill Seth. Matt really might. I shuddered. “Look, I need to get back to the office, but let’s meet again. This weekend, maybe?”
“Sure, whatever.”
“Okay. I’ll call you. And please—” In the movie of my life, I would touch my sister’s hand and look earnestly into her eyes, and tell her everything would be fine. In reality, I fumbled with my purse and frowned at her cigarette. “Quit smoking until you’ve made up your mind.”
I hurried back to the office. A fine, cold sweat gathered on my brow. The spare aesthetic of the agency seemed ominous that day, the air laced with guilt.
My instincts told me to run home to Matt. Now was not the time to start hiding things from him. I was already dodging the Children Discussion.
But I couldn’t tell him about Seth. Seth, of all fucking people …
I popped my head into Pam’s office.
“Yes?” She glanced over her computer.
“I read the full manuscript I requested, and I’m interested in representing the author.”
“Great. I’d like to take a look at it, if you don’t mind. We can discuss it.”
“Of course.”
“And you’re good to go this weekend,” Pam added.
“Excuse me?”
“You needed Friday off?”
“Uh, no.”
“Well, you’ve got Friday off. Matthew called. Something about a trip.”
Heat spread across my face. My fists tightened.
“Oh, right … the trip. I forgot. Thank you, Ms. Wing.”
* * *
I returned to the condo later than usual, around seven.
Matt hovered by the door.
As soon as I let myself in, he tugged me into his arms.
“Missed you,” he whispered. I stiffened in his hold, but he didn’t seem to notice. “I made dinner. Mexican…” He padded over to the kitchen table and gestured to a plate of taquitos. I grimaced. As usual, he’d made the whole box—all twenty-four—and half of the rolls looked suspiciously dark. He saw me eyeing them.
“I did this half in the oven. Then I did this half in the microwave, since—”
“I’m not hungry.” I plopped my purse on the counter.
Normally, Matt’s pitiful cooking attempts melted my heart, but not tonight.
“Oh.” He shifted the plate. “Well, they got cold anyway.”
“And you really need to stop making the whole box. Make, like … half.”
“Oh. Yeah…” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his shoulders sink.
“It’s too many.” I slapped the counter. “It’s a waste. We can never eat them all, and then they sit in the fridge getting stale, okay? I feel like that’s common sense.”
“You’re right. I…” He began to pile taquitos in his palm, as if he could somehow salvage them. He paced across the kitchen, frowned, and then returned the rolls to the plate.
“And you need to stop going over my head at the agency,” I snapped.
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb.” I whirled toward him. “You called Pam and got me Friday off with your stupid M. Pierce influence and I am tired of you Sky men trampling over my life and clearing my fucking work calendar like I’m a child who can’t—”
Matt snagged my wrist. With one terse tug, he reeled me into his arms.
This time, I crumpled against him.
“I’m sorry.” His soft voice thrummed through me. I listened to his heart and smelled his clean, strong body. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Oh…”
“Hannah, I want you to meet my family, too. Properly.”
I hid my face against Matt’s chest. I had definitely not met Matt’s aunt and uncle properly at his phony memorial.
“And I thought we could fly east a day early. I want to show you some things.”
“What things?” I peeked up at his smooth jaw.
“Surprises, little bird.”
Simply standing in the circle of Matt’s arms eased away the rough edges of my day. I let myself forget about Chrissy and Seth … and Katie. Anyway, I didn’t plan to ask Matt about the things Katie had said—not until I heard more and determined how much I believed.
I kissed his throat. He sighed and I trailed the tip of my tongue up his neck.
“Hannah…”
“I missed you today.” Through the fabric of his shirt, I brushed a thumb across his nipple. He responded impulsively, his groin pressing my belly.
“Babe.” He cupped my face. “Are you okay? Lately you…”
My poor sweet Matt. He struggled, and failed, to articulate my crazy mood swings.
“I’m fine now.” I raked a hand down his spine and slid it into the back of his shorts, my nails teasing over his ass. A tense moan sounded in his throat.
