28. Hattie
TWENTY-EIGHT
Hattie
My boob pops out of the sheet, and I’m too tired to fix it.
I’m out of breath from another round of mind-blowing sex with Emmy.
I didn’t think it was possible to keep going, but every time we’re about to fall asleep, we start another round.
I’ve probably gotten an hour or two of sleep total all night, but I’m definitely not complaining.
I don’t think I’ve ever had so much sex in my life, and even though my jaw is tired and my pussy is a little raw, I’d go again if she asked.
I’m insatiable when it comes to Emmy. Her body, her tongue, her everything.
Emmy pulls me into her chest, wrapping the blanket over both of us as I yawn.
“You need to get some sleep,” she says, running her hands through my hair, but they get stuck in a knot.
“What time is it?” I ask.
My eyes are fluttering closed, and I have no idea where my phone even is.
I think the last place I had it was in my room after I took off my costume.
Fuck, I should probably have it with me, but I really don’t want to leave this bed right now.
Or Emmy’s side. I don’t think I have the energy to climb the stairs anyway.
“It’s just after seven.” Emmy yawns.
“In the morning?!” I gasp, jumping up.
“Yes? What’s going on?” Emmy asks, sitting up slowly.
“Ollie’s coming back any minute!” I say, looking around the room for my clothes. My panties are on the floor, my shorts on the doorknob somehow, but I can’t find my shirt. Fuck.
“Okay, don’t panic. Maybe he’s sleeping in,” Emmy says, slowly getting out of the bed.
“Ollie doesn’t sleep in. He can’t find us in bed together,” I say, walking in circles while looking for my shirt.
Emmy stops me, hands on my bare shoulders, and tilts my chin up to look at her. “It’s okay. We’re going to get dressed, make you some coffee, and get breakfast started. It’s a normal morning as far as he is concerned. And your shirt is in the living room with mine.”
“Oh. Right.” I nod, remembering how it got there.
“Please take a deep breath, I’ll get our shirts. Do you know where your phone is?” she asks.
“I think it’s upstairs.”
“Okay. Stay here, I’ll get everything and you can check on Ollie. That way we don’t need to panic if he’s not on his way,” Emmy says.
“Okay.” I sit on the edge of the bed and wait for her return.
Five minutes later, Emmy comes back with one shirt in her hand, my phone, and her shirt back on. I button mine up quickly while I check my messages.
Tilly:
Ollie still asleep, bring home by 10
“Do I need to make coffee?” Emmy asks, waiting for me to read my texts.
“Oh, Ollie’s not coming home until ten. I’m sorry,” I say bashfully. I made a fuss for nothing.
“It’s okay. I’m glad he’s getting more sleep, but you should be too.” She looks at me.
I nod, lying back down. I put my phone on her nightstand, and she climbs back into bed with me.
She pulls me into her chest, and I can hear her heartbeat slowing but mine is still racing.
I probably shouldn’t have jumped up the way I did.
Now I’m too awake to sleep, and I have a million things racing through my mind at once.
I turn over, letting her spoon me instead, thinking that might help—but it doesn’t.
“Babe, I’m not even looking at you and I know how loud you’re thinking,” Emmy says while cuddling behind me.
“I can’t help it!” I groan.
I turn to face her and she smiles. “Just talk to me.”
“I’m thinking about what this all means and what we should tell Ollie. Like, do we tell him something? Or not yet? But then when?” I ramble.
“I think for now, we’re dating and getting to know each other better. No sense telling Ollie something that doesn’t really involve him yet. But when there’s more to tell him, we’ll talk to him about it,” Emmy says.
“Then we’ll have to be careful about PDA,” I say.
“I figured that was a given. I’m not going to be feeling up his mother in front of him. We save it for when he’s not home or when he’s in bed,” Emmy says. “I know I can be extra horny with you, but I promise I can keep it in my pants.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” I mumble.
“Then what else? Let’s get through it all so we can get some sleep,” Emmy says.
“What about our age difference?” I ask.
“You mean the eight years between us?” Emmy laughs. “Come on, that’s not even an age difference. You can’t help that, and I don’t even notice it until you bring it up.”
“Isn’t it going to be an issue? We’re both at totally different points in our lives,” I say.
“I think we’re actually in very similar points. We’ve both experienced a loss, we both love that little boy of yours, and we both want to be together. What else is there?” she asks.
“Marriage? Kids?” I say.
“I think it’s a little too soon for us to get married, and you already have one child, so maybe let’s wait until after the wedding for another?” Emmy teases.
“I’m being serious. We didn’t even talk about that. What if we don’t want the same things?” I ask.
“I mean, I’d like to get married one day.
My parents got divorced but that doesn’t mean I never would.
I just would need to be more sure than they were,” Emmy says.
“And I could probably go either way with kids. I never felt inclined either way. So if Ollie’s it, we already hit the lottery, but if not, then we can figure it out. But I think that’s way down the road.”
“We’re not seeing other people, are we?” I ask.
“Babe, you barely have time to date me. Are you looking for someone else too?” Emmy smiles.
“No, but you’re still young. I don’t want you to commit yourself to a whole family.”
“Why not? I’m happy where I am. I don’t want to go looking for anyone else. I wasn’t even looking when I found you, you know that,” Emmy reminds me.
“You’re really planning to stay in Sapphire Falls? That wasn’t just some line to get me into bed?” I joke.
“Of course not. I looked into grad schools nearby, and I think at some point I’ll get my own apartment so we’re not rushing into living together. But I don’t think I’m ready to leave Sapphire Falls.”
“What about Ollie? Do you still want to be his nanny?” I ask.
“I do.” Emmy makes a face. “While we’re on the subject, can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“How come Ollie isn’t in public school?” Emmy’s tone isn’t judgmental, just curious.
“At first, he was going to. But between my anxiety of the safety of schools, the schools in this town being terrible, and Ollie being more high energy when he was younger, it just seemed like the better option. Homeschooling meant I had more time with him, I knew what he was learning, and he could get his energy out,” I explain.
“That makes sense, he’s not as high energy now?” Emmy asks.
“No. There was a shift recently, I don’t know if it’s temporary or not. But I like him being home. I know it makes it harder on me now that Benny’s gone, but it used to be easier,” I say.
“Do you ever think about scaling back at work? I know asking that might cost me my job. But you do so much everywhere, do you think about not doing it all?” she asks softly.
“Yes, but also no.” I sigh. “I love my job here at the farm and at the animal shelter. But the vet office is where the money comes in to support the others. So even just working a few days every week, it gives me the stability I need.”
“That makes sense. I just hate seeing you run yourself ragged all the time.” Emmy rubs her thumb across my cheek softly. It feels relaxing.
I’m quiet for a few minutes until Emmy speaks again.
“Anything else? Because babe, I bet I have an answer for whatever it is. There’s nothing that’s going to keep me from pursuing this, unless it’s you outwardly saying no.”
“Okay,” I say quietly.
It was a weird feeling to be seen by another person.
Not someone who was trying to change you or convince you to think differently.
Just someone who sees how you think and wants to ease your stress.
I close my eyes, relaxing, and Emmy wraps her arm around me.
My eyes flutter closed, and they don’t open again until the doorbell rings hours later.
“Babe? Hattie? I think Ollie’s here,” Emmy says.
“Oh, fuck.” I jump up again, this time at least I was dressed.
“I’ll stay here.” Emmy gives me a quick kiss before lying back down.
I race to the front door, hopeful Tilly isn’t going to use her key for once. But thankfully she’s standing on the front porch waiting with Ollie.
“Good morning mama.” Ollie hugs me tightly.
“Good morning.” I smile.
“You look tired, H. Not a lot of sleep last night?” Tilly smirks.
“Why are the candles out?” Ollie asks before I can answer.
“The wind blew out the power last night,” I tell him.
“That’s weird, we still had power,” Ollie says.
“That is weird. Good thing you had all those candles,” Tilly says sarcastically.
“Thanks for taking him, did you need anything else?”
“Emmy not awake yet? That’s too bad, maybe she didn’t get enough sleep last night either,” Tilly adds.
“Okay then, Ollie say thank you to Aunt Tilly.” I glare at her as Ollie hugs her goodbye.
I close the door on her and turn to face Ollie. Only he’s not behind me, I glance around the room and listen to see that he’s actually upstairs. Was he going back to sleep?
“Ollie?” I find him sitting on his bed looking at one of the Percy Jackson books.
“Yeah?” He looks up at me.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Sort of. I finished the third book last night at Aunt Tilly’s but it ends on a what did you call it?” He frowns.
“A cliffhanger?”
“Yes, one of those. But I didn’t have book four with me so I didn’t know what happens next. It’s been bugging me all night, do you think I can have a reading morning? I just really wanna know what happens,” Ollie explains.
“Of course, why don’t you sit on the couch and I’ll make some breakfast while you read? Maybe we can make pancakes?” I suggest. Sometimes he liked to make them with me.
“Can you make them? I really want to read,” he begs.
“Sure, just come downstairs, I missed you.” I kiss his head and he smiles, grabbing the book and racing downstairs.
The power must be back on because the light switches are working.
So I gather all the candles, placing them back in their normal home in the kitchen.
Then I look for the pancakes mix. I don’t hear Emmy getting up, but it is her day off, so I assume she’s still sleeping.
Honestly, I wouldn’t blame her if she slept all day.
I’m exhausted, which is why I’m brewing an extra-large cup of coffee.
As I flip the pancakes, I glance at Ollie reading away on the couch.
It reminds me of another reader I know. Both of them stare intently at the pages, flipping to the next as soon as they’re done.
I wish I liked books as much as they did, but it’s cute to see something that will hopefully bond them in the future.