24. My Sunshine
TWENTY-FOUR
MY SUNSHINE
Lach
“Where? Porter’s? Is everyone okay?” Eve’s frantic voice sounds behind me as she moves to sit next to me. She tucks the blanket around her and under her arms.
“My apartment. All the messages earlier were from Rylee.” I pull up her number and press talk. It rings a few times before she picks up.
“Oh my god, Lach. We’ve been trying to reach you. Jake’s been trying to get a hold of Eve.” Panic laces her voice.
I rub the back of my neck. “Oh, um, sorry we were busy... eating dinner.” I certainly can’t say I was fucking Eve. Rylee wouldn’t care, but I’m more concerned about Jake. By the echo in the background, she has me on speakerphone, and anyone could be listening. Drawing the attention away from Eve and me, I ask, “There was a fire at my apartment? What happened? Is the building a loss?” The mattress rises as Eve stands to get her phone from the other nightstand.
“Some people at the bar were talking about it, and Jake went and checked it out. He determined that the fire was mostly contained to the building’s north side, but fire trucks were everywhere.”
I exhale a deep breath. “Okay. My apartment’s on the south side, so maybe it’s not a total loss.” If it is, that’s all my stuff. What I’m worried about most is all my artwork. The clothes and furniture are replaceable, but fuck, the art isn’t. Living my life as a bachelor, I didn’t have much because I didn’t need it. All the major appliances came with the apartment along with a small dining room table that I use as a desk. All my dishes are old and need replacing anyway, along with my TV. From the corner of my eye, I glance at Eve standing a few feet away from me. Concern etches her face.
“It’s hard to say. But the north side is almost gone. I’m kind of glad you’re helping Eve instead of here; otherwise, you could have been home during the fire.”
Shit. That never crossed my mind. More than likely, I would have been home. “Thanks for letting me know. We’re just outside of Chicago, so we’ll be back tomorrow. Then I’ll have to call my landlord and figure out what’s happening.”
“Of course. Anytime.”
I hang up.
The bed dips as Eve sits next to me and rests a comforting hand on my arm. “All my messages were from Jake saying there was a fire.”
“Yeah.” I throw my phone onto the bed and rest my elbows on my knees, scrubbing my hands down my face. “It was my apartment building. Jake said the damage was mostly contained to the north side, but who knows, the water and smoke might have destroyed the whole place.”
“And all your things.”
“Yeah. I guess I’m kind of lucky I wasn’t there.” Though I feel like shit for the couple of small families who live there. It’s a week before Christmas, and they’re without a home. I’ll call Seth. He, along with his wife Parisa, run the Lilith House. It’s a non-profit that helps community members in need. They’ll certainly have clothes and toiletries, maybe even some toys in case they have nothing.
She rests her head on my shoulders.
I wrap my arm around her and press a kiss to the top of her head. Just having her by my side is comforting. Scenarios of what could have happened flash through my mind. What if it was my neighbor’s apartment? What if I was home? What if I couldn’t escape? All of this with Eve would be for naught. Even though I’ve known her for a short amount of time, I can’t imagine not having her in my life.
I exhale a deep breath. “What do you say we go to bed so we can get an early start tomorrow? Then I can sort through the fire situation.”
Eve nods and scoots to the other side of the bed. She lifts the blanket, inviting me in. I click the button to turn off the lamp and snuggle against her. Right now, she’s the only comfort I have in a world of uncertainty. Knowing that I drift off to a semi-restless night.
The next morning, both of us dress for the day. Before we hit the road, I talk to my landlord, and he confirms the fire started on the second floor on the north side. They’re still determining the cause of the fire, but they suspect it was an electric heater. The structural engineer is still assessing how sound the building is to determine whether anyone will be able to collect their belongings—or collect what’s not ruined from smoke or water damage. For now, no one is allowed in, so it’s a waiting game.
The drive back to Harbor Highlands is mostly quiet. Eve is in the passenger seat reading a book, and I can’t understand how someone can read in a moving vehicle. Motion sickness would smack me upside the head before I finished the first page. With her sitting cross-legged in the seat, immersed in a fictional world, she’s the most beautiful woman in my world. Just like the sunflower tattooed below her ear, always searching for the sun. She’s my sun, and I find myself always searching for her. I’ve always kept my circle small. The only logical reason why I want to open up to her is she’s Jake’s sister, so it’s like I already know her. Reaching across the seat, I rest my hand on her thigh. Her gaze drifts to me over the pages of her book. A smile flits across her lips. It’s sweet and sexy and everything in between.
“You’re my sun.”
“Huh?” She closes the book and sets it on her lap.
“My sunshine. The thing that makes my day brighter. I want to continue exploring whatever this is with you.”
“The sex?”
I laugh. “Well, that too. But also, more than that. I want to get to know you. All of you.”
“So, like a relationship? The thing you don’t do?” She lifts an eyebrow.
“I’m not one for labels, but if that’s what you want to call it. All I know is I want you to be in my life, but—” Her body tenses under my fingertips.
“The dreaded but.” Her shoulders sag.
I wish it could be different, but I need to figure out the best way to tell Jake that not only did I watch out for his sister, but I also did it while she’s been under me, on top of me, and even as I had her pinned against the wall moaning my name. “I told your brother I’d watch out for you, and I doubt this is what he had in mind. Until I can figure out what to tell him, can we keep this between us?”
“Under normal circumstances, I’d think you’re embarrassed to be seen?—”
“Never. I want nothing more than to tell the entire world you picked me.”
Her cheeks turn a dusty rose. “Okay. I’ll agree to your terms on one condition.” Her hazel eyes meet mine as her lips tug into a smile.
“What’s that?”
Her teeth sink into her bottom lip. It’s sexy as fuck. I wish I was the one biting her lip. “We use Charlie Cumming again.”
I exhale a laugh and squeeze her thigh. “I think that can be arranged. But maybe he can get a new name?”
She laughs, the sweet and sexy one that makes me smile. “Yeah. I don’t think so.”
One of the weights lifts off my shoulders. Eve is fucking gorgeous, and even more important, she’s smart, funny, and down to earth. There’s no way she’d stay single in Harbor Highlands, especially working at Porter’s. Someone would charm their way into her life. That’s not fucking happening. She’s mine. I never imagined those would be two words I’d use, but with her, I want to get it tattooed on my knuckles so I could punch it into any guy who gets close to her. With her I’m in over my head, nearly drowning, but I don’t want to come up for air. The other weights will have to wait until I’m back in Harbor Highlands.
Eight hours later, with minimal stops, we arrive at Jake’s house. With an extra set of hands, we unload the U-Haul. All the larger items like her bed, a dresser, and boxes of kitchen stuff, go into the basement, while her clothes and everything else go to her bedroom. Every time Eve bends over, I fight the urge to stare at her ass in case Jake’s watching. Outing myself only a few hours into our secret relationship, which I’m still getting acclimated to, is not part of the plan.
After I move the last box, I plop down on a stool at the kitchen island, resting my elbows on top. Jake stands across from me. His expression is unreadable. Does he know? Does he have some sort of brotherly intuition? Is he five seconds away from reaching across the counter to pull me over by the throat? I lean back to give myself a few extra inches, just in case.
“Hey man, I want to let you know…”
Shit. Here we go.
“You’re welcome to crash here. It’s not the Hilton, but I do have a couch in the basement, so you’ll kind of have your own space just until after everything gets situated with the fire.”
I blow out a deep breath. “Thanks. But I’ll just check into a hotel. Hopefully, it won’t take too long to find a new place.”
“The basement is going to be better than any hotel. Plus, it’s free.”
I know Jake’s wanting to be a good friend, but he doesn’t realize the situation he’s putting me in. Not only am I sleeping with his sister, but he’s now wanting to house me under the same roof as her. The temptation is always strong, but being in such close proximity to her all the time would snap my last restraint to not out myself to Jake.
Eve enters the kitchen, wiping the back of her hand over her forehead before collapsing into the stool next to me.
“Moving sucks. Remind me never to do this again. Or at least moving halfway across the country. Because I certainly don’t intend on living with my brother for the rest of my life.”
“Good to know,” Jake says. “Speaking of living arrangements, Lach will stay in the basement until he can figure out a new place to live.”
“You know what, I think that’s an excellent idea.” She swings her gaze to mine. Something brushes over my ankle. Glancing down, Eve slides her sock-covered toes over my jeans. I snap my head up and meet her eyes. Luckily, the island is blocking Jake’s view.
“We get to be roomies.” Her plump lips curve into the sexiest smile.
I’m definitely fucked.