Erin McCarthy - Sweet

He sighed. “No one is in the house.”

“How do you know?” I tripped over something in the dark and stumbled into the bed. “Fuck.” I crawled up onto it, accidentally putting my knee down on Riley’s shin.

“Ow, Jesus, what are you doing?”

“I’m scared.” I started climbing Riley, trying to get over him to the free side of the bed. We were a tangle of limbs, my balance off as we rocked slightly. “Why are we moving? OMG, is this a waterbed? Who the hell has waterbeds?”

“People whose mothers were fourteen in the eighties and in love with hair bands.” The light from his phone suddenly glowed in the dark. I could see his squinting eyes looking less than pleased.

My elbow went into his gut and he made an oomph sound as the air left his lungs. “Sorry. But there’s someone in the house.”

Riley helped me off of him, tucking me along his side. “There is no one in the house.”

“You keep saying that but you have no way of knowing if that’s true or not. I heard scratching.”

“That’s the cat.”

Pulling the sheet over me, I threw my leg over his, wanting the reassurance of his masculine body. He could probably beat the crap out of a serial killer. Or at least stall him so we could escape. A demon I wasn’t sure about, but I still felt a lot better being next to him. “Cats don’t whisper.”

Riley sighed. His phone went dark, and I could hear him set it down on the nightstand before sitting up. “I’m never taking you to see a horror movie ever again.”

Thank God. I grabbed his arm. “What are you doing?” I knew I was being insane, but I couldn’t help it. I was scared and I didn’t want him to be killed. Nor did I want to be left alone.

“I’m going to check the house to give you peace of mind and to give me sleep.”

I started to get up, too, but he added, “Just stay here.”

“That’s what they always tell the female protagonist to do in movies and that’s when she gets killed.”

“You’re not coming with me. Just lay down and I’ll be back in two minutes.”

I didn’t lay down, but I did obey him, despite my desperate urge to jump on his back like a baby monkey. That would hinder him from fighting off a killer though, so I cursed my stupidity for leaving my phone in the living room and rested on my knees, peering through the open doorway, trying to see and hear what was happening. I was wobbling from the waterbed, but Riley flicked the lights on as he went, which helped my state of mind.

In a minute, he was back, filling the door frame with his near naked sexiness before he flicked off the hall light. “There is nothing and no one in the house. The cat isn’t even here.”

“Oh. Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more positive of anything in my life.” Riley got into bed, further rocking me.

I held onto the headboard for balance. “Well, that’s good.”

“Come here, princess.” In the dark, his arms reached out for me.

Grateful, I tumbled back onto the bed with him, letting him pull me against him in a spooning position. His arm was heavy and comforting tucked under my breasts, his legs warm, the cotton of his boxer briefs soft against my thighs.

“You okay?” he asked, his breath a hot whisper above my ear. He sounded sleepy.

“Yes. Thanks.” I hadn’t been planning to go to bed this early, but I was reluctant to go back out there by myself. I knew if I heard another random noise, I’d flip out again.

Besides, it was nice being with him like this. The rhythm of the bed was soothing. I wished I could take my bra off but I didn’t want to disturb him, any more than I already had, that is. Feeling a little sheepish, but mostly relieved, I wrapped my arm around his and snuggled my ass into his crotch. It wasn’t meant to be a come-on and he didn’t respond in any way, his breathing light on the back of my neck. It was more that I wanted to be close to him.

“Night, Pita,” he murmured.

“Pita? How am I like a Middle Eastern flatbread?” Was that better than princess? I wasn’t sure.

“It stands for pain in the ass.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t even particularly insulted. I was a pain in the ass. I didn’t mean to be.

He kissed my bare shoulder.

And it felt more intimate than oral sex.

I shivered in the dark.

When Riley climbed out of bed at some ungodly hour, his alarm having gone off with a vicious squawk, I vaguely responded with an “Mm,” when he said good-bye. Then I promptly fell back asleep and didn’t wake up until I heard shouting and door slamming and altogether too much freaking noise for anything earlier than noon.

It sounded like the boys were back from their jaunt in the suburbs.

I pried my eyes open and wished coffee would miraculously appear in my right hand. I’m not so much a morning person, but with caffeine, all things are possible. Yawning, I started when I realized there was a pair of eyes staring at me from the doorway.

Easton. The kid moved like smoke. It was freaky.

“Where’s Riley?” he asked, looking at me like I had swallowed his brother whole.

“He’s at work. How was Rory’s house?”

“Fine. Who are you?”

Yeah, I needed coffee. I sat up. “I’m Jessica, Rory’s roommate. We’ve met a couple of times.”

“Hm.” He sounded like he thought I was lying. About all of it. His brown eyes stared at me, unblinking.

I stared back, not sure what to say. I didn’t have Rory’s way with kids. It didn’t come naturally to me.

After a second, he turned on his heel and left. He must have narced on me, because Tyler appeared. “Hey.”

“Hey. How was the fresh air?”

“Chilly with the disapproval of Rory’s father. But I have to give the guy credit, he’s trying to ignore the fact that his daughter is dating a convicted felon.”

“Well, you are innocent.” I yawned and stretched my arms.

“I’m not sure how much that matters. So what the hell happened to the house? It looks almost nice.”

Jayden’s head popped up behind Tyler, his mouth split into a grin. “It’s fucking awesome!”

I laughed. “I’m glad you like it.”

Jayden disappeared again, probably back to the kitchen.

“You did this, obviously,” Tyler said. “Riley would never hang the word YUM anywhere except maybe off his dick.”

Rolling my eyes, I climbed out of bed. “Yes, the ideas were mine. Riley was the labor.”

Tyler coughed and lowered his voice. “So, uh, why are you sleeping in here? Your stuff is in the other room. Did you and Riley . . .” He made a gesture that was supposed to indicate sex, obviously, but it looked more like he was changing a tire.

“No. We didn’t.” I mimicked the gesture so he’d see how stupid it looked. “But we’re doing something. Just not that. Yet. And FYI, I had to tell him that we have, and he was none too happy about it. He didn’t know and I wasn’t going to hide it from him.”

Tyler winced. “Awkward.”

“Big time,” I agreed.

“So, you like him or whatever?” he asked, clearly curious. “He likes you?”

“I guess. You’d have to ask him. But yes, I do.” I felt more than a little defensive. “Is that okay?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, sure. Whatever makes you both happy. I just didn’t think that you two were going in that direction.”

“Me either,” I answered truthfully.

“Don’t break his heart, Jessica, that’s all I’m asking.”

I glared at him. “Shouldn’t you be worried about my heart being broken? I’m the girl here.”

“Yeah, but you’re not exactly sensitive. Riley doesn’t really get out much, you know. He’s not one to get involved with someone lightly.” Tyler scratched his tattoo, the one that read TRUE FAMILY, just like Riley’s. I wondered if he even realized he was doing it, a subconscious gesture as he worried that I might gut his brother emotionally.

“I think you’re giving me more power than I have.” Truly. “And why does everyone think I’m so hard-core? I have feelings, too.” I did. Buried deep down underneath a layer of self-tanner.

“You can handle yourself.”

“Thanks.” Not. “Now are you going to move out of the way, or am I trapped in here all day?”

“See? You’re not afraid to say what you think.”

I was so not flattered. “I’m not afraid to punch either.”

Tyler put his hands up in front of his face, boxer style, and bounced on his feet, grinning. “Give me what you got, Jess.”

“Weirdo. Now I need coffee before I kill someone.”

Jayden and Easton were in the kitchen, Jayden’s hand in the cookie jar. “Did you see this, Jessica?” he asked me. “Cookies!”

At least he remembered me. His amazement made me smile. “I know, cool, huh? I told Riley that when it’s empty, you should very nicely ask Rory to make some more.”

“Except Rory won’t be back until next month and there is no way these will last that long,” Jayden said earnestly.

Tyler laughed. “Those won’t last until tomorrow. Slow down, U.”

I still didn’t understand why sometimes Riley and Tyler called Jayden U, but I had given up trying to figure it out. “So you guys like the house? I’m glad. And I told Riley no smoking in the house anymore.” I directed this at Tyler. “The ashtrays are out on the picnic table.”

“What, you paint the kitchen and suddenly you’re the boss?” he asked.

“The social worker is coming tomorrow,” I told him, trying to sound casual. “Probably a good time to start keeping the secondhand smoke outside.”

He made a face. “Shit. Okay. You’re right. It seemed pointless to smoke outside before because my mom always smoked in the house. It just became a habit.”

“Well, with the carpet gone, the smell is almost gone, too, so this is a fresh start, as cliché as that is.”

“How come Riley didn’t tell me?” Tyler asked in a low voice, coming up close to me to ask as I pulled out a coffee filter.

We were both very much aware of Easton fingering the candy wrappers on the YUM art just a few feet away.

“I don’t know. He probably didn’t want to ruin your vacay.”

“Yeah, but I need to make it look like I don’t live here. You know, again, the whole convicted felon thing.” Tyler leaned on the fridge, his arms crossed, looking worried.

I hadn’t even thought of that. “Okay. We’ll just move all your clothes and stuff to Riley’s room and they’ll assume it’s his. We’ll make your room look empty. But don’t you have to give an address for your parole officer and stuff like that?” Though truthfully, I had no clue what I was talking about. That was just an assumption I was making based off TV.

“I gave them Nathan’s address. If they show up there, Nathan just says I’m at work and then texts me, though it’s only happened once.”

“That sounds illegal.”

“I’d rather violate my parole than have them deny custody to Riley.” He nodded his head in Easton’s direction. “He won’t do well in foster care.”

No, I didn’t imagine he would. I didn’t imagine any kid would, but Easton was quiet, thin. He would be an easy target without his brothers there to protect him. “Alright, let me drink this coffee and then I’ll help you move your stuff.” I dumped grounds in without measuring them in any way.

“Really?” Tyler sounded surprised.

“Sure. Rory is stuck out at her dad’s working her summer job, and I’m here. I can help.”

He was looking at me like I’d just parted the Nile.

“What?” I growled.

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Nada.”

“Then stop looking at me like that.” I poured some water haphazardly into the coffeemaker. Truthfully, I had been surprised the Manns had a coffeemaker. But apparently it had been handy for hiding drugs, so their mother had bought it at a garage sale, according to Riley. I hoped there weren’t any lingering drug bits in there, though I was too naive to really know what she had been hiding and/or doing. Sure, I’d popped a Vicodin here and there and had smoked a blunt or two, but it wasn’t like I really had any clue about having a real drug habit other than what I had seen on intervention shows.

Ever since the funeral though, I had decided that getting an occasional itchy high from a pill or two wasn’t worth the risk of addiction. Who was to say when it might go too far, and I didn’t want to do that to myself or to my family. So not worth it.

“By the way, the pictures in the hall?” Tyler smiled at me. “Nice touch, Jess. It means a lot.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, feeling uncomfortable with his praise. I was used to compliments on my appearance, not on my actions.