Chapter 16
Will
After confessing what I’d done to Clarke, we fell asleep in each other’s arms. She wasn’t happy with me but didn’t force me out of her life. So, I guessed I was right about her wanting this as much as I did.
The following day, I woke with a jolt. The alarm blared throughout the room, the obnoxious sound ringing in my ears. Clarke was on the other side of the bed, as far away from me as possible.
She groaned as she reached over to swat at the snooze button, not realizing my cell phone was ringing. She threw out her hand one more time, then sat up when she was unsuccessful. Before she turned into a rage monster, I grabbed my phone and turned off the alarm.
“What the hell?” Clarke rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock on the table beside the bed. “You were serious about five o’clock?”
“Yep. Get your fine ass out of bed, wifey. We have some running to do.”
“Nope.” She plopped her head back down on the pillows and turned her back to me. “Too early for this shit.”
I slid over to her side and flipped her onto her back. “That was part of the deal, woman. I didn’t sit through the first two The Lord of the Rings movies last night for nothing.” I smacked her ass lightly. “Now, get your butt out of bed.”
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I slid my legs off the mattress and strutted over to Clarke’s bedside. Her eyes met mine as I adjusted the waistband of my boxer briefs. She might have hated me, but she loved my body. Worshiped it every time we were together.
“Morning, beautiful.” I held out my hand for Clarke. “How did you sleep?”
“Could have been better. You snore, did you know that?”
I shook my head. “Now I do.”
She slipped her fingers between mine, and I helped her out of bed. Clarke was not a morning person. Her hair stuck up in various places, and her eyes were ringed with dark circles like she hadn’t slept a wink.
“I’ll try not to snore tonight.”
“Like you can help it.”
“I don’t know, babe. When I go down, I’m out for the night. Dead to the world.”
“I can’t believe I’m going running.” She raised her hand to her mouth and yawned. “I hate any kind of physical exertion.”
I dropped her hand and headed toward the bathroom. “It’s good for you. Get ready.”
I closed the bathroom door and did my business as Clarke slammed drawers.
She was unhappy with me but would get used to running with me.
I figured she could do this for me if I had to do things she liked.
It would give us a chance to bond. And I wanted a sweet view of the city while everyone was still asleep.
Washington, D.C. was non-stop traffic at all hours. But I was hoping for a peaceful run.
I stood in front of the mirror and splashed water on my face. Maybe I hadn’t slept as much as I thought. The skin beneath my eyes looked dark and swollen as if someone punched me.
Clarke banged on the door. “Hurry in there. I have to pee.”
I laughed because she had other bathrooms. She just wanted to give me shit.
I dried my hands and face with a towel, hanging it back on the rack before I swung the door open. Clarke stood with her hands on her narrow hips, dressed in black yoga pants and a spandex bra top.
“Damn, woman. You sure know how to greet a man.”
She rolled her eyes. “Get out before I pee myself.”
I touched her side as I walked past her. Undeterred, Clarke pushed her way into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
Yeah, good morning to me, alright.
I dressed in shorts and an Under Armour tee, waiting for the ice queen to emerge from the bathroom as I laced up my sneakers.
She took her sweet ass time in there, leaving me to wait on the bed for another five minutes before she showed her beautiful face.
She didn’t wear makeup, only an angry scowl.
“What’s got you down, princess?”
She pressed her lips together and gave me a look of death. No pet names. How could I forget? For whatever reason, Clarke hated those.
I hopped off the bed and closed the distance between us. “I’ll make you some egg whites. Then we can get going.”
“I don’t eat breakfast,” she shot back.
“Your body needs the fuel.”
“I’m good, Dad.”
Not wanting another fight this early, I left Clarke in the bedroom to finish getting ready. I opened the cabinets in the kitchen until I found a frying pan and set it on the stove. The refrigerator was vacant, save for a carton of eggs, a block of cheese, and a half carton of milk.
Damn, I thought my sister was bad. When Mia was single and living alone, she never had enough money to buy food. I constantly had to stop by with food or give her money that she refused to accept.
She mostly lived off takeout Chinese food for several nights and coffee and snacks from her employer. It was sad. But what was Clarke’s excuse? She was rich, even though she never acted like it.
Clarke stumbled into the kitchen. She dumped coffee grounds into a filter and turned on the coffeemaker.
“You should drink some water before we go.”
“I can take care of myself, Will.”
“Just a suggestion.”
I spun around to face her with a cartoon of eggs in my hand. She slid a stool out from the island, dragging the legs along the tiled floor.
“What’s up with the welfare fridge?”
She gave me a confused look.
“You have no food. It’s not like you can’t afford it.”
“I wasn’t home much before I left for Philly. Then we were in Vegas and at the wedding. When did I have time to go to the food store?”
“We can go after our run.”
“I have to shower and go into the office when we’re done.”
“You’re working?”
“My boss set a staff meeting for eight o’clock. I can’t miss it.”
“I was hoping we could spend the day together since I have to leave tomorrow for a training session in Philly.”
I dropped some butter into the hot frying pan and cracked open four eggs, separating the whites from the yolk. “You sure you don’t want some?”
“I’m good with coffee.”
When the coffee finished brewing, the machine beeped. I reached into the cabinet for a mug and poured some for Clarke.
She took it from me with a pleased smile. “Thank you. Think you can get me some Splenda? It’s in the ceramic cow next to the stove.”
“Creamer?”
She shook her head. “Just sugar.”
I handed her a sugar packet before I turned around to plate my eggs. Clarke sipped her coffee loudly, slurping it down like she would never have another cup.
I had gotten up early to train for as long as I could remember. I embraced mornings. It was the one time of the day when I could get shit done and focus on myself.
I sat beside Clarke and shoveled the eggs into my mouth. Clarke finished her cup and slid off the stool to drop the mug into the sink. She stared at me from across the counter, watching me strangely.
“What?” I asked between bites. “Am I annoying you?”
“No. Just thinking.”
I wiggled my eyebrows as I chewed my food. “Good things about me, I hope.”
She momentarily considered my words, digging her teeth into her bottom lip. “Finish your eggs. I have to grab something from the bedroom before we leave.”
As she walked out of the kitchen, my cock jerked at the sight of her tight ass in those pants. Men around the world were thankful for yoga pants.
How the hell am I going to win this bet with Clarke taunting me with those damn pants?