“Then at least let me call some men to move all of your things. I don’t want you hurting yourself moving anything, even if it’s just down the hall,” Mom said. I kept my mouth shut even though I already had at least two guys to help me move. I glanced at Dad and I could tell he knew about that too. Smart man.
“I’m going to leave some of the stuff with Sloane. I can always buy new furniture.” Then Lucah and I could go shopping together, or he could bring in some of his own things. My apartment was definitely more feminine than masculine. Not that I was going to be letting him bring in a basketball hoop, or a beer cap collection, but we could man things up a bit.
“Well, just let me know if you want to go shopping, or if you need any help with anything,” Mom said and finally went to get out dessert. Phew. That went as well as I could have expected.
Lucah and I were moving in together, he was coming with me to the Ball and other than the shit show at work, and the fact that Lucah was unemployed, things were looking up. Plus, I had a fabulous gown in my possession. That would make the very worst day better.
37
“Moving sucks,” I said the next night as we started packing up my stuff to move it down the hall. Lucah and I had signed the lease that morning, after slipping the building owner a fifty to let us move in early.
Sloane was gleefully talking about what she was going to do with all the extra space and pretending to be helpful, but actually doing the opposite.
I’d texted Chloe and Marisol, but they were busy. Or they just didn’t love me that much. Or a little of both.
I joined Sloane and sat down on one of few packed boxes. I was sweating and we’d barely done anything. You never know how much stuff you have until you try to move it.
Sloane sighed and got up to get two bottles of beer from the fridge. I had no idea why we had beer because none of us drank it. I gave Sloane a look when she handed me one of the bottles.
“What? Beer felt like an appropriate moving drink. You know, the working man’s drink.” This was one of those times when I knew she had some reason for her crazy, but I couldn’t figure it out.
The key sounded in the door and Lucah walked back in, but he wasn’t alone.
“Rory, Sloane, this is my brother, Ryder. Ryder, Rory and Sloane.” Lucah was NOT happy about the introduction. I could see from the way he held his shoulders that he was stressing out.
I slowly looked at Ryder and immediately saw that he was Lucah’s brother. They had similar features, but Ryder was more . . . rugged. He also had a few scars here and there, the biggest one on the side of one of his cheeks. His hair was darker than Lucah’s and he was a lot bulkier, with tattoos roped around his arms. There was a look in his eyes and that look said a few things to me.
Trouble. Danger. Stay away.
“Hello, Rory. It’s so nice to meet you, I’ve heard lots of things about you.” Ah, so he also had his brother’s dirty sense of humor. He shook my hand and almost crushed my fingers with his calloused hand. Then he turned to Sloane and I waited for the fireworks.
“Hi, I’m Sloane.” She said it slow and low before she got up and walked forward. Ryder watched her the whole time and I wanted to scream at Lucah. Sloane was working it and he was taking her in.
“Sloane. Very nice to meet you. I can’t say that my brother has mentioned you. Or if he did I wasn’t paying attention. I am now.” She giggled and I knew that laugh. She only laughed like that around a cute boy. Oh, Sloane. Lucah had been right about this guy, he looked like he was only going to bring her heartache. Not that I could judge just from the five minutes I’d seen him in person, but Lucah had told me plenty of stories that backed up my initial impression.
Lucah started picking up boxes, stepping right between Sloane and Ryder. Good boy.
Then he shoved one at Ryder and told him to take it down the hall. Ryder gave Sloane a lingering look and she ducked her head and hid a smile. Seriously?
Lucah gave me a look and I gave him one right back. This was his fault. Making things forbidden made them more attractive.
I knew I was being a hypocrite for not wanting Sloane to be with Ryder when I’d had a forbidden relationship with Lucah and she’d been so supportive. But I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. I didn’t want her heart to get broken. I couldn’t take that.
“He’s f**king hot,” Sloane hissed at me while Lucah followed Ryder down the hall.
“Be careful,” I hissed back, but I could see by the look on her face that she was going to take my advice with a grain of salt.
By the time we got most of the stuff moved, it was late, I was exhausted and Sloane and Ryder had eye f**ked each other way too much.
“Well, I think I’m going to head out. Unless you need anything else?” Ryder said and I knew there was a double meaning behind that.
“No, I think I can take it from here. Thanks for the help,” Lucah said, patting him on the shoulder.
“Oh, you’re welcome. Anything for my big brother,” he said with a wink at Sloane.
“Really, thank you,” I said, interrupting more eye f**king. “It was so nice to meet you.” He said good-bye and I think Lucah breathed a sigh of relief when he was gone.
“Oh my GOD,” Sloane said, slumping against the kitchen counter. “That is your brother? Holy hell.” She fanned herself and Lucah shook his head.
“I told you. I told you. I told you,” I said to him. “There’s no stopping it now.”
“It was bound to happen eventually. No sense putting it off any more.” He shrugged and went to the fridge to grab a beer.
“Oh, you like beer now?” I said as he popped it open.
“Sometimes in life, you just need a beer. This is one of those times.” He sighed and went to sit on the couch.
I sat next to him, putting my head on his shoulder.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” He gave me a tired smile and I kissed him on the cheek.
“We’re moving in together. We need to buy furniture. Aren’t you excited about that?” I said.
Finally he really did smile. Sloane skipped off to her room to give us some privacy.
“Buying furniture. That’s a big step. You ready for chairs and ottomans and maybe even a few lamps?”
“I don’t know. Ottomans are pretty serious.” He leaned his face forward and I knew what kissing him would lead to, even though we were both gross from moving stuff and exhausted and I had to work the next day.