Page 35 of Ravished By Her
“I do recall something like that,” she said, reaching for her beer again. I let myself settle back into the couch, leaning just a little bit closer to her.
“My family is up my ass about getting the house sold so they can have the money. Oh, and I’m also supposed to be a one-woman auction house for all of my grandfather’s stuff so they can have that money too,” she said. “And that’s on top of the lawyers and the courts and everything that just makes me want to set everything on fire and mail my family the ashes.”
She got to her feet and started pacing in front of the coffee table like she’d flipped a switch and couldn’t stop herself.
“Were any of them here for him in his last weeks? No. Did they give a shit that he was dying in that house alone? No. All they care about is their fucking inheritance and I have to live with the fact that I share DNA with a bunch of greedy monsters.” She spun and faced me. “How fucked up is that?”
She ripped her cap off her head and squeezed the bill between both hands, nearly breaking it in half.
“Fuckkkkkkkkk,” she said, drawing out the word.
“You know what you need?” I said as I watched her.
“A different family?” she asked, putting her hat back on and crossing her arms.
“Yes, but also: a beach day. You need a beach day.” Going to the beach could solve almost anything.
“The beach?” She raised her eyebrows. “You think going to the beach is going to help?”
I stood up and grabbed another one of her hats. The one she’d worn last night, actually, and put it on my head. “It’s worth a shot.”
Chapter Eleven
Lacey seemed skeptical, but with a little bit of prodding, I got her to pack a bag and put on a swimsuit under a new outfit.
“We can take my truck, if you want. Just means you’ll have to come back here to get your car,” she said as she shoved a towel in her bag.
“That works. I just need to stop at home to get my suit and so forth,” I said.
Lacey nodded and opened the passenger door of her truck for me. I hopped up and buckled myself in, noticing the pendant she had hanging from the mirror.
“Pretty,” I said as she got in and slid a pair of aviators on her face.
“Thanks. That’s one of the first things I ever made. I keep it around to remind myself that I was a beginner once. Keeps me always striving to be better.” She rolled her window down and propped her arm up while she drove with her right hand.
Hot. She was so hot. I wanted to sit sideways in the passenger seat so I could just watch her as she drove, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.
I gave her directions to Kai and Sterling’s house and too late I realized she might want a tour of the van. I wasn’t embarrassed of where I was living, especially since my sister was letting me crash for free, but it was a far cry from my glorious former apartment.
Lacey pulled into the driveway next to Sterling’s car. She must be working from home today.
“I’ll be right back,” I told Lacey as I shoved myself out of the truck and went to the van.
“Do I not get a tour?” she asked through the open window.
“Give me a few minutes,” I told her as I yanked the van door open and then closed it behind me for privacy.
The van was clean, but I still didn’t know what Lacey would think of my living conditions. I found my suit and threw it on under a white cover up, tossed several items into my beach bag, and swapped my regular glasses for prescription sunglasses. Once I was sure I had everything, and that there was nothing out in view that would embarrass me, I opened the van door again and called out to Lacey.
“This is it,” I said, gesturing as she stepped up into the van, crowding me in the limited space.
“This is completely different than I pictured,” she said, touching the branches that Sterling had used to decorate.
“My sister did everything, so all of this is her. I would have gone more modern and sleek with the design,” I said as Lacey took in the bed and the fairy lights and peered into the bathroom and shower setup.
“It’s bigger than it looks from the outside. I’m surprised,” she said, reaching up and touching the reclaimed wood that decorated the ceiling.
“It doesn’t feel that way after you’ve been in here for a few days, trust me. Sometimes I wake up and feel like the walls are closing in on me,” I said, trying not to move too close to her, but failing. Everything about me was drawn directly to her. I couldn’t help it.