Chapter 30
Chapter
Thirty
REED
“ S o they still don’t know?” Pearl said, lounging on him on the couch.
They’d both collapsed on the couch when they got home. Their legs were tangled together, and Reed loved the feeling of it.
Craved it.
He knew he should be racked with guilt, but he just couldn’t seem to be bothered as he tucked Pearl’s head under his chin and tugged her closer.
She was lying on him, and the pressure was heaven, releasing his anxiety.
His hands traced over the soft, bubble curve of her ass and up her back. This would never get old.
“No,” he sighed. “They have high expectations. My grandpa founded his own firm, my dad expanded it, and it was acquired by a large corporation. I think they were hoping that I’d become even bigger. I was given every introduction to the right internships”—he ran his fingers through her silky hair to calm himself—“the best education, but all I ever really wanted was to make them happy. I just happened to be good at math and drawing.”
She pushed up to look at him in surprise. “You architected your whole life to make other people happy?”
“I’m not as brave as you.” His thumb stroked her cheek, and she kissed his palm.
“It’s not brave to be allergic to responsibility like me.”
“It’s brave to do what you want, even if it doesn’t make other people happy.”
She settled back onto his chest. “My parents couldn’t be bothered to care. You know that.”
Pearl’s dad had pretty much disappeared in middle school, and Reed could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen her mom.
“I just put them through a lot,” he said, remembering the endless meltdowns every night at dinner. Him not knowing how to articulate that he was overwhelmed by crowds when they would go to expensive amusement parks. He’d been told countless times he was a difficult but smart child, even though he tried his best to not be difficult at all. “I just don’t want to let them down.”
“Reed.” She pushed herself up again. “You built an amazing bookstore. There are, like, people in it,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Practically enough for your own army of rugrats today. And if your parents aren’t as proud of you as I am,” she said, straightening her arms, giving him a tantalizing view of her cleavage in front of his face. She leaned over him, her pretty face above his. “Then I will happily fight them. I’ve never lost an arm wrestle, and I’m not afraid to bite,” she said, planting a sweet kiss on his nose.
“Oh, I remember,” he said, suddenly grabbing her by the waist.
He pulled her to him, tickling her sides as they rolled off the couch, laughing. He landed on top of her, his thigh between her legs, arms wrapped around her.
He kissed her solidly, wanting to chase away all his anxiety and worries with a taste of her. She hooked her leg around his, twining them together even harder, and his tongue danced with hers as he deepened the kiss. His hands slid up into her shirt, wanting to feel her skin.
He wrapped his hands around her ribs and squeezed. She moaned, and as he angled his head to kiss her deeper, the front door swung open.
“AP, AP, AP! We’re back!” They ripped their heads away from each other, and a shocked Luca stood in the doorway staring at them.
Reed pushed off of Pearl as AB ran across the living room and launched herself into Pearl’s arms.
Reed sat with his back against the couch, his arms up around his knees to hide his hard cock. Luca just stared at both of them silently, holding seven bags.
“We were gonna stop,” AB said, hanging on Pearl, “but we missed you so much.”
“Oh, nugget,” Pearl said, wrapping her arms around AB and squeezing her tight. “I missed you too.”
“I miss my room,” AB said, pulling Pearl along. “And you have to come so I can show you your present.”
Luca’s eyes silently followed his sister as AB pulled her upstairs.
Reed ran a hand down his face. He’d sort of forgotten to tell Luca what had happened the last two weeks.
Okay, he’d avoided it.
“Uh…the fuck…?” Luca said in utter confusion as he tossed the bags, backpacks, and shopping bags on the ground.
Reed finally looked him in the eyes. “You mad?”
“Mad?” Luca said with surprise. “No, I thought I was delirious after ten hours of driving.” He wiped a hand over his tired eyes. “Help me with the bags and clue me in?”
“I will,” Reed said, blowing out a breath. “I just need a minute.” Think about taxes, endangered wildlife. Anything to get this motherfucker flaccid again.
“Why?” Luca said.
Reed leveled a gaze at him. “I can’t stand up right now.”
“ Euch ,” Luca groaned with disgust. “That’s my sister, man.” He pushed open the screen door, going back outside.
Sufficiently deflated, Reed threw on shoes and went to help Luca with the bags.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. He’d been hiding a lot from a lot of people. Luca and AB weren’t supposed to be back for another three days.
“How was the trip?” Reed asked.
Luca tossed him bags from the backseat. “Amazing. Exhausting. Life-changing.”
“Good, I’m glad you guys had a good time,” Reed said, trying to make things less awkward.
Luca gathered the rest of the bags and turned around on the walkway back up to the house. “So, you and Pearl…?”
Reed’s ears turned pink. He was glad for the darkness outside. “Um.” He hefted the bags in his arms. “Yeah. For a little while.”
Luca scowled. “What about that girl that you were texting? You dating both?”
“Oh, god no. That sort of…resolved itself. You’re not mad?”
“No, you’re a great guy.” Luca shrugged as if it was the dumbest question. “Why would I be lifelong friends with somebody I wouldn’t want my sister to date? That’d be fucked up, man.”
Luca’s face twisted through a series of expressions as he thought. “I’m pretty happy about it, to be honest,” he said with a laugh. “She’s done a lot worse. Is it serious?”
His best friend wouldn’t judge him; he never had.
A shit-eating, I-just-won-the-lottery smile broke Reed’s face in two. “I’m in love with her.”
“Fuck,” Luca whispered slowly in shock as he walked back to the front door. “Pearl takes no prisoners and no shit either. If she’s with you, it’s because she’s all in. I can sleep on the couch tonight,” Luca said, “and we’ll wash the sheets on my bed in the morning.”
“Oh, no need.” Reed put the bags down in the front room. Reed scratched the back of his head. “I’ve been sleeping in Pearl’s room, and there are fresh sheets on your bed. We didn’t want to, you know, get everything on yours.”
Luca shuddered. “I’m not mad, but it’s still weird. That’s my sister , man.”
Reed hauled the last heavy box from his car through the door of Bookish as Pearl held the door open for him.
It was Monday, so they were taking advantage of the closed store and moving him into his apartment.
He’d hate not being at home with Pearl, but four people in a single bathroom was just too many. Now that he’d have his own space, they could resume their X-rated activities.
Pearl stood talking to Violet as she held the door. “And then AB asked if she could also have a sleepover in my room with me and Uncle Reed,” Pearl said, her hand smacking her face in embarrassment. “So we decided, no more sleepovers in the house.”
“Oh, no.” Violet laughed with her hand over her mouth. “I should be grateful baby Frank can’t ask any uncomfortable questions yet.”
Reed’s ears tinged pink, remembering the uncomfortable conversation, happy he wouldn’t have to relive it.
“You’re welcome to stay over at our house if your bachelor pad isn’t ready yet. You will have to put up with middle-of-the-night cries, though,” Violet offered with warmth in her eyes.
“You’re so nice, but I’m really looking forward to settling into, uh…” Reed’s voice faltered as he saw two familiar faces.
“Looking forward to…?” Violet asked.
But Reed’s head was spinning as the impossible walked toward him.
“Mom?” Reed called.
His mom gave a big, exuberant wave. “There you are!” she yelled. His dad was beside her. “We wanted to look around za town before we called. This is cute,” she said as they walked up.
His heart was in his throat. He looked at Pearl briefly.
“Oh, fuck,” she muttered.
“Hi.” He gathered his mom and then his dad in a hug. “What are you guys doing here?”
“We were worried about you.” His mom pushed his hair out of his eyes. She’d never liked that he kept it a little long.
“We couldn’t come all this way, hop over the pond,” his dad said with a smile, “and not see you, so we road-tripped across Pennsylvania. We stopped by the old house, and then your mother looked up where Luca lived and we thought we’d surprise you.”
“I am sufficiently surprised,” Reed said, clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses.
“You were going into the bookshop?” His mom pointed.
“Um, yeah, this is actually the project that I was telling you about,” he said.
He was on the verge of admitting everything. Everything that would unravel his whole life with his parents. The lie he’d started in fourth grade that he hadn’t seemed to figure out how to back out of. “Uh, you remember Pearl, Luca’s sister.”
“Ah, yes. The angry one,” his mom said with a smile as she waved.
“Hi, Mrs. B,” Pearl said with a small, polite smile.
“Haven’t seen you since we caught you smoking pot outside our garage in high school,” his dad said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, and you confiscated it,” Pearl said, narrowing her eyes.
His parents chuckled together. “That was a good weekend,” his dad said with a smirk.
“This is Pearl’s bookshop,” Reed said in a panic. “I’ve been helping her redo the interior. It’s a historical building, and she wanted to do it right.”
Pearl’s mouth dropped open.
Oh fuck. It had just tumbled out.
His dad looked pleased. “Well, that’s great. I’m glad to hear it. Not that you’re taking off work, but it’s for a good cause. Gems like these are few and far between nowadays.”
Violet stood beside Pearl, looking at Reed with a hopeful smile.
He gulped. “And this is, um, this is my…friend, Violet,” he said, pausing on the word friend far too long.
Not my sister .
His mom narrowed her eyes, trying to place Violet. “You look so familiar.”
Violet smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m on a TV show with my husband, if you like plants.”
“That’s where!” his dad said, excited. “We watched you on the plane.”
“You were very good,” his mother said matter-of-factly.
“That’s high praise from Alice Berry,” Reed said, feeling bad he might have hurt Violet’s feelings. She’d been nothing but sweet and kind, even before she’d known they were related.
“I should get going,” Violet said with a pained smile. “I’ll see you later, Reed. Bye, Pearl.” He looked over to find Pearl glowering at him.
“Violet, wait,” Reed said.
“It’s fine. I’ll talk to you later.” She waved and jogged across the street
“Wow, you’re friends with a celebrity,” his mother said, impressed. “Well, we’ve got to check in at our B&B down the road, but let’s plan on doing breakfast tomorrow morning. Your father and I have big plans at a fancy Italian place this evening.”
“Sounds good.” He waved them away as they walked to their rental car.
He felt hollow. Disappointed in himself.
You just kicked the can further down the road and hit your sister with it in the process.
“What the fuck was that?” Pearl said.
He locked the door of the bookshop. “It’s just for a little while. I can’t tell them everything at one time. New siblings, me leaving my job, a new business, a new girlfriend. It was a lot to say all at one time.”
She stared at him, probably seeing through his half-truths.
“You could have at least picked one. You hurt Violet’s feelings. I would storm off, but you are my ride home and it’s time to go watch AB while Luca goes to the shop.” She stomped to his car, looking disappointed in him.
He’d chickened out. He’d had the perfect opportunity.
He just didn’t want to lose that feeling he had when his parents were happy with him. It had always felt so fleeting.
But he’d tell them soon. I have to , he promised himself.