Page 53 of Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

“About what?”

“Something important.”

“Sleep is important.”

“Delilah.”

“Ass.”

“I had a sex dream about Jordan Everwood.”

This was not exactly the way Astrid envisioned dropping the news, but it shut Delilah up at least. Her stepsister blinked a few times, then scrubbed her hands over her face before opening her door wider to let Astrid inside.

“Coffee,” Delilah said, shuffling toward the kitchen. “I’m going to need a lot of coffee for this conversation.”

Astrid didn’t respond. Instead, she plopped down onto the gray couch in the living room, breathing heavily as if she’d run here, andglanced around to distract herself. She’d been here only a few times, but Delilah’s apartment was nice, simple, grays and blues and greens. Lots of black-and-white photographs of Claire on the walls. Claire’s daughter, Ruby. The three of them together. Family photos.

There were also several boxes littering the space, some of them already labeled “Books and shit” and “Old-ass photos” in true Delilah style. With everything going on at the inn, Astrid kept forgetting that her stepsister was officially moving in with Claire and Ruby next week. While Claire had been taking things pretty slow because of her twelve-year-old daughter, everyone knew she and Delilah were the real deal. The forever kind of love.

Something ached in the center of Astrid’s chest. She wasn’t sure what it was specifically, but her mind went to Jordan, the look in her eyes as she’d told Astrid about her wife.

“Here,” Delilah said, holding out a large mug.

“Thanks.” Astrid took it, noticing with a tiny jolt of happiness that Delilah had added a splash of cream and a little sprinkle of cinnamon, just the way Astrid liked her coffee. She took a sip, and the caffeine soared through her bloodstream, life-giving and healing. Her head instantly felt less like a balloon filled to capacity.

Delilah settled in on the other end of the couch and tucked her legs underneath her. Then she just stared at Astrid, waiting.

Astrid cleared her throat, totally unsure what to say now that the reason for her visit was out in the open already. What did she expect here exactly? Advice? Reassurance? And for what? She wasn’t ashamed that she had the dream. She wasn’t even confused. She was just... she didn’t know.

Overwhelmed.

That was it.

She was violently overwhelmed by every single thing that happened last night.

“Do I get details?” Delilah finally asked.

“Details?”

Delilah waggled her eyebrows. “Details.”

Something about Delilah’s expression and tone, the lightness of her simple question lifted a weight off Astrid’s shoulders.

“Absolutely not,” she said.

“But it was hot?”

Astrid’s smile faded. She swallowed hard, could only nod in response. No way she was bringing up the vibrator and subsequent real-life orgasm, but her cheeks flushed warm anyway.

Delilah grinned. “Nice.”

“You don’t seem surprised.”

Delilah canted her head. “What do you mean?”

“I mean... I’m me. I’m not... I mean, I’ve never...”

“Okay, hold up,” Delilah said, sitting up and leaning a little closer to Astrid. “Never beforedoesn’t meannever ever.You know that, right?”