Kacey seemed nervous as I flipped myself on top of her then slid my body down hers, never taking my eyes off of her. I was just about to situate myself between her legs when she grabbed ahold of my shoulders to stop me. “I’m probably not going to last very long,” Kacey said softly, almost looking embarrassed by that fact.
“Kace, I don’t care if you last ten seconds. It will still be the best ten seconds of my life. I’ve waited years to be with you like this again.”
Kacey gave a subtle nod, and I took that as my cue to continue on. One taste and I was completely hooked. My mouth moved on Kacey as if I had been starving, and in some ways I had. I was starved for her. For her love. For her affection. For all of her. For her part, she held on much longer than I expected, releasing the words “I love you” once again through strangled gasps as her body gave out below me.
“I love you too, Kacey,” I whispered as I snuggled my body into hers. “I’ll never stop loving you.”
Chapter 14
I woke the next day to Kacey’s strong arm wrapped around me from behind and sighed as I scooted back closer to her, relishing in the feeling of her naked body against mine. She pulled me even tighter against her and whispered a tired “Good morning” as she placed a kiss on my temple.
I turned in her arms so I could face her and smiled when I saw that she was already smiling back at me. I leaned in and brushed my lips with hers. “Good morning.” I shook my head back and forth. “This isn’t a dream, is it?”
Kacey slipped a hand between my legs and slowly moved one finger over me. “If it was a dream, would that feel so real?”
I bit my lip and reluctantly pushed her hand away. “If you start that, I’m not going to be able to stop, and I really should get going.”
“So soon?” Kacey asked, pushing her lip out slightly.
I couldn’t resist placing another kiss upon those lips but left it at one so I didn’t end up getting carried away. “I think it’s for the best if I’m not here when Bailey wakes up. I know she’s happy with everything, but this is a lot of change to throw at her all at once. I just want to ease her into things, you know?”
Kacey laid her head on my chest as she let out a content sigh. “I swear. Just when I think you can’t get anymore perfect, you go and prove me wrong.”
I pulled myself from the bed and put my clothes back on, then slipped from the room before I changed my mind and jumped back in bed.
Once outside, I was surprised to see an old car sitting in the driveway that I didn’t recognize. I looked around and noticed a girl a few years younger than me. Her hair was blonde, but I could tell from her dark roots that it wasn’t her natural color. “Can I help you?” I asked, unable to hold back my gasp when the girl turned to look at me. The hair might have been different, but there was no way to mask those distinctive dark eyes and the face that was an almost exact replica of Kacey’s.
“I’m looking for Kacey Caldwell,” the girl answered, almost looking annoyed that I would even ask. “I’m her sister, Ariana.”
I swallowed hard. I knew this was the case just by looking at her, but hearing it confirmed sent a chill throughout my body. I had to think quick and choose my next actions wisely since I knew this was going to have a big impact on both Kacey and Bailey. I put one finger in the air. “Give me a moment. I’ll see if I can find her for you.” Before she could say anything else, I turned back on my heels and let myself back into Kacey’s house, locking the door behind me. I leaned against the door and took a deep breath, my heart now beating out of my chest.
When I opened them back up, I noticed that Kacey was standing in front of me, confusion written all over her face. “Kari? Everything okay?” I shook my head but wasn’t able to answer. Kacey took my hand in hers and rubbed her thumb over the back of my hand. “What’s going on?”
My heart broke when I looked into her scared eyes. She probably thought I was having second thoughts or maybe even regretting our night. Although, I wasn’t sure if what I was about to tell her was going to be easier or harder for her to swallow than that would be. “Your sister is here. She’s right outside.”
Kacey’s face turned a ghostly white. “Ariana is here? But how does she even know where we live?” I shrugged and was about to say something when a knock sounded on the door. It started off soft but was quickly becoming louder. “Shit,” Kacey whispered, running a hand through her hair. “She’s not going to leave without a fight, but I can’t let Bailey see her.”
I put a hand on her cheek and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Do you want to talk to her outside and I’ll stay here to make sure Bailey doesn’t catch on to what’s going on?”
Kacey leaned into my hand and shut her eyes for a moment. “You would really do that for me?”
“I wasn’t lying last night when I told you I’m all in. We’re a team, Kacey.”
Kacey nodded her head then placed one more quick kiss on my lips before reaching for the door. She turned once more before opening it, her eyes burning into mine as she spoke the most sincere “I love you,” I ever heard.
If the moment wasn’t so overtaken with anxiety, I probably would have melted to the floor from all of the emotions I was feeling. Instead, I headed up the stairs while Kacey slipped outside.
Bailey walked out of her room, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Is someone at the door?” she asked with a big yawn.
“Sorry, sweetheart, that was me. I was just coming back to have breakfast with you guys, but I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Bailey looked me up and down, blinking rapidly as though she was still trying to wake up. “Why are you wearing the same clothes as last night?”
I looked down at my outfit and could feel my face turning red with guilt as I thought about all of the lies I was telling. “I was too tired to change when I got home last night and this morning I was just too excited to get back over here to take the time to do it.”
Bailey shrugged, but I couldn’t tell whether it was because she believed me or thought I was losing my mind. “I heard people act crazy when they’re in love. Guess it’s true.”
Well, that answers that question.
“Your mom had to run to the store to get a few things to make breakfast,” I lied once again. “Want to snuggle in her bed with me and watch cartoons until she gets back?”
Bailey’s face lit up. “Do you even have to ask?” Without waiting for a reply, she skipped down the hall into Kacey’s room.
Once we were both in the bed, Bailey scooted close to me and laid her head against my shoulder. “My mom really likes you, you know,” Bailey said without removing her eyes from the TV. “You’re not going to break her heart, are you?”
Her question took me by surprise, but I’m not sure why. Bailey was wise beyond her years. I ran a finger through her hair and gave her a reassuring smile. “No, I’m not going to break your mom’s heart. You don’t have to worry about that. I just want to make her happy.”
Bailey nodded her head slowly as if she were considering my words. “That’s good. I think she got her heart broken before. She always said that all she needed was me, but I think that’s because she was scared.” Bailey looked up at me and stared intently as if she were considering something. “You knew my mom before. Do you know who broke her heart?”