Page 20 of Cinder & Secrets (Ink & Ashes #2)

River

“How did you get talked into babysitting?” My sister snorts into the phone, not bothering to mask her laughter.

“Mom and Dad have dinner plans with Deb and Ryan. And Dalton and Avery have to go to some student-teacher thing at Lyla’s preschool, and they didn’t want to have to take the girls.”

“And you were the best they could come up with to watch them?”

“Why do you say it like that? Like I’m incapable of occupying a two-year-old and four-year-old for a couple of hours.”

“Um, because, have you met you?”

“The girls love me.”

“They do. I’m not disputing that. But let’s face it, Riv, you’re the fun uncle, not the responsible one.”

“I’m their only uncle,” I needlessly remind her. Given that they’re Dalton’s kids, we have no other brothers, and Avery is an only child, I’m the only uncle they’ll ever have, by blood, anyway. “And for the record, I am plenty responsible.”

“But these are human children...”

“Well aware,” I grumble, pulling into my parents’ driveway.

The memories of the last time I was here with Charlotte come flooding in. Her pressed against the bathroom door. My mouth on hers. The way she whimpered against my lips. Fuck... If it weren’t for the fact that I’m on the phone with my sister, the thought would probably make me hard as a rock.

“I may not have been comfortable watching them when they were really little, but I feel like they’re old enough now that I can handle them.”

“You say that until Lacy has an accident and you have to clean poop off her, or Lyla throws one of her epic temper tantrums.”

“Let’s hope neither of those things happens.” I throw my car into park, killing the engine. “But if they do, you’re only a phone call away.”

“Not that I’ll be much help over the phone, but feel free to call me. I’ll have a good laugh at your expense.”

“I think Kai is rubbing off on you and I’m not sure I like it,” I tell her, laughter vibrating through my words.

“Well, given that he’s the love of my life, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It wasn’t one.”

“Says you.” I can hear the smile in her voice.

“I’ll remember this conversation before I answer your phone call next time,” I playfully warn.

“Yeah, right. You love me too much to ignore my calls.” If she were standing in front of me, she’d probably have stuck her tongue out at me following that sentence.

“I love you a little less after this phone call,” I grumble, clearly joking.

“I’m gonna pretend like you didn’t just say that.” She chuckles softly. “Now, for the reason I actually called... Are you coming down for family weekend again?”

“Why? Aren’t Mom and Dad coming this time?”

“Yes, but I want you to come, too. I barely got to see you all summer. Besides, we had so much fun last year.”

Last year...

Red hair. Paint splatters taking the place of freckles. Bright green eyes.

I can see Charlotte so clearly—that night burned into my memory so vividly I’m certain that I’ll still remember it in perfect detail fifty years from now.

Lyric isn’t the first person to ask me about family weekend.

Char brought it up a couple of days ago, wondering if I was coming.

I told her Lyric hadn’t asked and I didn’t think it was a good idea regardless.

It was one thing pretending like we didn’t know each other when she was here over the summer.

But things have progressed a lot since then and I have a feeling that even if I tried, I couldn’t mask the effect that woman has on me.

Not from anyone, but most certainly not from my sister.

Which then begs the question, why haven’t I told her yet?

I wish I had an answer to that question. Truly, I do. But for the life of me, I can’t bring myself to admit that I’ve been lying to her for months and that I may or may not be falling for one of her best friends and that the thought terrifies the shit out of me.

But for as scared as I am of my quickly forming feelings for one Charlotte O’Malley, not a single ounce of me wants this to end. In fact, the thought of that happening is the very reason why I’m scared. It’s been a long time since someone has made me feel even a fraction of what she does.

I think, in the end, that’s why I don’t want Lyric to know. Because as soon as I admit it out loud, it becomes real. And right now, I just want to hide in this little private bubble we’ve created for a little bit longer. There’s less pressure there. Fewer ways for us to disappoint each other.

“When is it again?” I ask, climbing from my car, my focus hooking on something in the back seat.

Switching my phone to the other ear, I open the back door to investigate, a wicked smile touching my lips when I realize what I’m looking at.

.. A pair of white, lace panties. Panties that I peeled down Charlotte’s legs seconds before she straddled my lap in the back seat and rode me like I was a wild horse she was trying not to get bucked off of.

It was messy and awkward, trying to fuck in the small back seat of the car, and yet, it was also so fucking hot.

Seems she left me a little token to remember her by.

Balling up the material, I have to resist the urge to bring them to my nose before stuffing them into my pocket.

I can’t believe they’ve been there for nearly two weeks and I’ve just now noticed.

“Did you hear me?” My sister’s voice brings my frazzled brain back into focus.

“Sorry, what?”

“Family weekend. It’s in two weeks.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I promise, knowing full well that if I go, it will be for a hell of a lot more than spending time with my little sister.

“Well, I hope you can come. Maisie’s brother, Jackson, is coming this year, and we’re all planning on going out after the parentals have retired to their hotels. He’s your age, so between him and Kai, it should be a little less awkward for you than it was last year.”

I have a lot of words I could use to describe what last year was like, but awkward is not one of them.

“I will let you know for sure in the next few days. A lot of it will depend on work.”

That’s only partially true. Things have slowed down significantly at work, and I haven’t worked a weekend in three weeks, not that I’ve told her as much.

My true hesitation is Charlotte. It’s one thing to spend time with her alone.

It’s quite another to spend time with her under the watchful eyes of my sister.

And then there’s Maisie to consider. I’m still not comfortable with the fact that she knows what’s going on.

Not that I did myself any favors when I showed up pissed off and demanded that they get in the car.

If she didn’t know before that, she would have then.

What’s to say she won’t get drunk and slip up if I’m sitting right in front of her?

It’s risky.

Then again, this whole thing is a fucking risk, and yet, I keep jumping off the same cliff over and over again. So far, I’ve only hit water below. But how many more times can I jump before it’s no longer water I land in but hard, unrelenting earth.

“Well, I really hope you can make it.”

“I should go. Mom and Dad need to leave by four and Mom still has to run down her list of instructions for the girls.”

“The girls are already there?”

“Mom picked them up on her way home from work so they’d already be here when I got here. I guess they trust me to watch them but not enough to pick them up from preschool.”

“Who can blame them. Have you been in a car with you?”

“I am a perfectly fine driver.” I huff.

“You drive like the road is your racetrack and you’re speeding toward the finish line.”

“You are really on my ass today, you know. First I’m not responsible enough to babysit, now I drive like a maniac. Anything else you want to insult me on before I hang up?”

“Hmm...” I can see her tapping her chin in thought as if she were standing right in front of me. “Nothing I can think of at the moment.”

“In that case, I’m hanging up before you do think of something.”

“I only give you crap because I love you.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Love you too,” I mutter, ending the call as I head up the steps that lead to the front door of my parents’ house. “Mom. Dad,” I holler as I push my way inside without knocking.

“Wiver!” Lacy comes barreling toward me and I lean down, swooping her into my arms.

“Wacy!” I nuzzle her little neck the way I always do, tickling her with my facial hair. “Where’s Memaw and Papa?” I ask, giving her a little bounce.

Before she can answer, my mom comes out of the living room, running her hands down the front of her cream-colored blouse. Her face lights up at the sight of me.

“Hi, sweetie.”

“Hey, Mom.” I tip my chin. “Where’s the other rug rat?”

“She’s coloring with your father.” She gestures behind herself and I nod, stepping past her into the living room. My father is sitting on the floor, Lyla next to him.

“Hey, Pop.” I set Lacy on the couch with a dramatic plop, smiling when she squeals in laughter.

“Your turn.” My father climbs to his feet, handing me the crayon he was coloring with just moments ago.

“What are we coloring?” I ask, lowering myself down onto the spot he just occupied moments ago.

“Butterflies,” Lyla informs me, the word duh so clearly displayed in how she says it. Dalton and Avery are gonna have their hands full when this one becomes a teenager.

“Butterflies. Oh yes, I see.” I reach for Lacy, tugging her down onto my lap before handing her a crayon as well.

“She can’t color,” Lyla says.

“Oh, I’m sure she can color just fine, can’t ya, baby girl?” I ask, watching Lacy press the crayon to the paper, tracing long lines of thick crayon marks through the center of the page.

“Told you.” Lyla huffs, so full of attitude I have to resist the urge to laugh.

“I think she’s doing beautifully,” I disagree.

“She won’t stay within the lines.”

“That’s okay.” I shrug, turning my attention to my mom as she reenters the room, sliding her purse onto her shoulder.