Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“I got the part.” Rowan gave a little shimmy. “And the streaming service ordered a full season. They’ve got Michelin Moses and Embellish signed on as consultants, so you know the soundtrack will be good.”
“I’m sure.” I didn’t recognize either musician name, but I trusted Rowan to have a finger on the pulse of teen tastes. “When do you leave?”
“Filming starts in June, after graduation. Funny, I’m graduating only to return to high school a week later.”
“No college?” I asked gingerly, having a feeling it was a loaded topic.
“Not yet.” Rowan pursed his mouth. “I deferred a year in case this doesn’t work out. Compromise with Dad.”
“I’m happy for you.” I patted him on the shoulder.
“Thank you.” He beamed, turning my pat into a full-on hug. “And I’m happy for you too. You give me hope. If you can find the older man of your dreams, mine is out there too.”
I gulped, but everyone else laughed. Clearly, my coming out had gone fine without me doing a damn thing.
“Lord, save us from that.” Eric released a low groan. “Maybe there’s a monastery renting rooms in LA?”
“Ooooh, single, older, devout men.” Tone mischievous, Rowan gave a sly grin. “I love it already.”
Jonas came up stairs right then to be greeted by Oz, who had been let back in the house. Approaching the crowd at the door to my room, Jonas pulled up short as his gaze dropped to my chest.
“You’re wearing my shirt.”
“Apparently, I am.” Grinning, I smiled, but Jonas’s expression was one of wide-eyed horror.
“Must have been a laundry mix-up.” His voice came out way too hearty.
“That gate already dropped.” I gestured at the three others. “I think they figured it out.”
“We can be discreet though.” Eric shot warning glances at both teens. “No gossiping, especially around Sean—”
“My dad knows,” I interrupted his warning. And surprisingly, that sentence didn’t feel as odd as it had last right. Rather, I had a new sense of calm, aided by Eric and the kids’ non-reactions. “Which means Denver knows. I’m not scheduling a press conference or anything, but you don’t have to keep my secrets.”
“Your dad knows, and Jonas is still alive?” Eric tilted his head, gaze swiveling between Jonas and me.
“I know.” Jonas still looked rather pained, mouth tight. “It’s a miracle to me too.”
“This calls for bacon.” Wren headed back to the kitchen. Phone out, Rowan followed distractedly behind.
“Seriously, you guys okay?” Eric asked me and Jonas. “No…drama?”
“Yeah. Being out is good.” I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of fresh paint and cleaning products. Fresh start. For all of us. I was far more at peace than I could have ever predicted. “And there’s about to be bacon. It’s a good morning.”
“It is.” Eric nodded, but his gaze had shifted from Jonas and me back to the newly redecorated room.
“The room looks good.” I gestured widely. “Thanks for letting Rowan paint.”
“It was time.” Eric’s voice sounded far away.
“Time for you to move back downstairs?” I made the suggestion because for my entire stay in the house, Eric had lived in a tiny room on the third floor. He deserved to reclaim the primary bedroom.
“Let’s not get crazy.” Eric offered up a ghost of a smile. “But the lure of my own bathroom again isn’t a terrible thing.”
“And where are you going if Eric moves downstairs?” Jonas asked as Eric wandered back toward the kitchen.
“Where do you think?” I gave him a meaningful grin, complete with an eyebrow waggle.
“Oh, you think so, do you?” Stepping into the room, Jonas put his hands on my waist as he adopted a scolding tone. “I don’t recall posting a roommate ad.”
“It’s a practical use of the space available here,” I said archly, confident he wasn’t about to kick me out of his bed. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good. I suppose you can stay.” He started to lean in for a kiss, then glanced back at the open door. “This okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, it is.” I gave him a decisive kiss, which turned hot in a hurry. I glanced over at the bed. “Do you have to work today?”
“Nope. I turned down shifts for yesterday and today. Monday is an admin day though.”
“Two days off in a row.” I darted around him to close the door. I didn’t really intend to jump his bones with Eric and the teens in the kitchen, but making Jonas blush bright red was fun. “Let’s get crazy, indeed.”
“I’m going to do that more.”
“Get wild?” Returning to his side, I winked at him.
“Days off. I’ve never been good about putting myself first, but I want to work on it.” He pulled me toward him again. “For us. I want to put us first, and that means not always saying yes to everyone else first.”
“No, it means putting yourself first and then us.” I wagged a finger in his face. “You have needs and goals and dreams too.”