Page 67 of From That Moment
“Why did you quit track?”
“Because I got bored for real. I run now because Nate drags me out, but I’d rather do anythingbutrunning to work out.”
I raised a brow at him and gave him a pointed look. He coughed into his hand, and I swore he was blushing.
“Well, that is my favorite form of workout, but I was talking about sports. You know us Bradys, we constantly want to play something, and that’s how I get my workout in. But running a long-distance or even in a circle? I get bored. Nate was damn good at it, so I let him have it.”
“And you didn’t want to lose to your baby brother?” I asked, teasing.
He shook his head. “No, that probably would have annoyed me eventually because he was that good. Macon and Cross were already better at sports than I was, though, so I was probably used to it by then.”
“Got to love sibling rivalry.” I said it lightly, but my chest ached at the thought. I must have let something slip on my face because Prior gave me a weird look.
“What’s wrong? What did I say?”
“You didn’t say anything.” I let out a breath. “I was just thinking of siblings. I used to have a sister, which is a bizarre way to put it. I had a sister. I still have her. Though she’s no longer here.”
Why couldn’t I say the worddead? I should be able to do that. It had been long enough. I’d even said the word before when it came to her.
“Paris,” Prior whispered, pulling me out of my thoughts. He reached across the table and slid his fingers through mine, rubbing his thumb over the space between my thumb and my forefinger. I looked down at our clasped hands and let out a breath.
The two of us were very good at not putting labels on our relationship, but this wasn’t a first date, it wasn’t even our second. And Prior was a friend.
He had seen me at my worst, when I had been bleeding and in pain and calling out for help.
Maybe he deserved to see some of my nightmares.
Because if tonight was the night that he slept over for the full night, then he might see a nightmare in truth.
We’d only slept together that first time, our other dates ending either with our group of friends, or us going our separate ways after some heavy petting. Neither of us had ventured into the next step of what our relationship could be. Even if using the wordrelationshipwas kind of scary.
Tonight, though…tonight I wanted to tell him. And then we would see where things ended up.
“How about we get the check, and you take me home, and we can talk?”
“Anything you want, I’m here. I promise.” He gave my hand a squeeze before looking over my shoulder where the waiter presumably was. He smiled, did some gesturing thing, and soon, the check was there, and we were ready to go.
We were quiet in the car, and I felt like I had possibly ruined the mood, but I wanted to tell him. I hated that I had this secret that didn’t need to be something between us.
We got into the house, and I went straight to my kitchen, contemplating hard liquor or coffee. I settled that argument by pulling out Baileys and starting the coffee maker.
Prior stood by my side for a moment before helping me with the coffee, neither of us having to say a word. He had made coffee in my home before, and I had made coffee in his, and it felt like this was another step.
How had this happened so quickly?
Or maybe it wasn’t quick at all.
After all, it had been months since I had first realized my attraction to him, and over a month of us being together as we were now.
Maybe this wasn’t as quick as my mind wanted it to be.
We settled on the couch, two coffees with Irish cream in our hands, and I let the warmth seep into my hands, my body cold.
“We can watch a movie. You don’t have to say anything.”
“I think I do. Because I feel like I’m keeping something from you, and I don’t like that. I don’t like hiding.”
“You never hide. You’re always the exact Paris you want to be.”