Reed’s eyes come back to me, the look in them all heavy and intense as he murmurs, “That. Right. My bad then.”
“It is,” I say primly before winding my arms around his neck. “So where’s my present?”
He puts his other hand on my waist and tightens his grip on my braid with the other. “Outside.”
“What?”
“It’s a Porsche 911.”
My mouth falls open for a second before I sputter, “But wait, wasn’t… wasn’t that the car you were restoring for that guy? The car that you finished today.”
Now that he said the name of it, I remember.
He shrugs. “I lied.”
“You lied.”
“That’s sort of what I do.”
I can’t help it. A shocked laugh bursts out of me.
He doesn’t actually.
Except that one time when he broke my heart, Reed has never lied to me and I can’t believe that he lied to me now. I mean, it’s not a bad lie but oh my God.
A car?
We don’t need any more cars. We’ve got his Mustang that usually sits in the garage because we have Halo. And Reed, my sexy, badass husband, is super adamant about driving the minivan that he got last year because it’s the most kid friendly.
And now this, a Porsche?
I shake my head. “But Roman, we already have two cars and I don’t… I don’t need a car. I…”
“Yes, you do,” he tells me. “For Juilliard.”
Juilliard. Right.
So after deferring for a year, I’ll finally be going this coming fall. It’s going to be a huge change but I think I’m ready. I’m excited at least and well, nervous.
This past year has been great though.
I did everything that I wanted to do. I got to be with Halo and Reed. I got to see my brothers as much as I could. I got to teach at the Baby Blues and I discovered something about myself.
That I love kids.
I absolutely love them. I love, love, love being a mother. I love, love, love teaching little kids and seeing wonder on their faces when they do a pose correctly or when they simply twirl for fun.
It just makes my heart so happy.
So that’s what I’m going to do. After I graduate from Juilliard, I’m going to teach kids. Letting go of my other dream of dancing with the New York City Ballet Company is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.
But first, I’ve got to get through this amazing program.
Our plan is to move out of the glass house for the duration of it and live in an apartment we found that’s midway between Wuthering Garden and New York City. So I can do my classes and Reed can work at the garage. And I was going to take the bus to the city.
It’s not going to be easy but a lot of people do it so I can do it too.
But apparently not. Because I have a car.
“But I… it’s too much.”
He squeezes my waist. “Look, it’s fast. It’s safe. You’ve got a few weeks to try it out before you actually have to go. And it’ll get you there twice as fast than a fucking bus would. And what in the world gave you the indication that I’d ever let you ride on a bus?”
I squeeze my own arms that are still around his neck. “Let me?”
“Yeah. You’re my main girl, aren’t you? And she doesn’t ride on a bus.”
I purse my lips. “That’s extremely archaic but I’m gonna let it slide. Because you’re kind of being sweet right now.” I reach up and kiss his jaw again. “Thank you. I really appreciate it. Even more than I appreciate you letting my brothers win tomorrow.”
He goes alert then. “What?”
“At soccer.”
“You want me to let your brothers win tomorrow. At soccer.”
I peek at him through my eyelashes. “Please.”
So tomorrow, along with Halo’s birthday party, we also have a soccer game. A friendly soccer game.
After the get together from last year to celebrate my acceptance to Juilliard, I also discovered that I love doing little parties and lunches. Even though that get together was sort of disastrous with all the hidden tensions and whatnot.
But anyway, it’s a regular thing now, these get togethers.
I try to do one every three to four months depending on everyone’s schedule.
I cook and bake and we have a fun time in the backyard. The people who attend are usually the same: my brothers; my St. Mary’s friends plus the loves of their life; of course Tempest. Sometimes Pete makes it too.
Oh and I made two new friends in the past year, Jupiter and Isadora or Dora. I adore both of these girls and it works out because they’re dating my brothers.
Yeah, they’re dating the twins and I’m not gonna lie, seeing Shep, the player, totally whipped makes my day every time.
Anyway, as fun as these get togethers are, some time last year, they were also turned into soccer games.
I’m not sure whose idea it was but whenever all my brothers and Reed are together, they split into teams and play each other. Sometimes Arrow joins in, even Salem.
Reed usually ends up with Shep because they’re great friends now. Because well, my brother loves cars and Reed is sort of a car expert.
Their games are pretty low key and for the most part, friendly. Except Ledger and Reed sometimes still butt heads. Not like before though, thank God.
But the fact that Ledger’s little sister, me, is married to Reed, is still a point of contention between the two.
Anyway, I try to keep the peace as much as I can.
Hence the request that Reed let Ledger win tomorrow.
Not that he cares about the game, no.
In fact, he watches me from the field more than he watches the ball. Which pisses Shep off because they miss shots that way. But he doesn’t have much leg to stand on, my brother. Because he watches his girl from the field just as much.
Anyway, I’m making this request because as I said, Reed and Ledger still butt heads. And along with me being married to Reed, the other point of contention between them is that my brother is dating my husband’s sister, Tempest.
Which came as a relief after months of Ledge being an idiot about it.
But yeah, I don’t think Ledger and Reed will be best friends any time soon.
Reed bends down then, his features sharp and wolfish. “What do I get in return?”
My heart skips a beat. “What do you want?”
“You.”
“Me what?”
His eyes sweep over my features again. But this time, there’s no sign of the good, noble protector. This time when Reed looks me over, he’s doing it with that predatory, villanous intent that I love so much.
“I hear you’re a ballerina,” he drawls.
I bite my lip to stop my smile and nod. “I am.”
He pretends to think about it, all the while squeezing my waist, flexing his fingers in my braid. “So I want you to spin like one. For me.”
I pretend to be shocked as I play with the ends of his soft hair. “You want me to dance for you?”