Page 26 of Living for Truth (Broken Shelves #2)

Hannah

M organ explains that if I move in here, this is where I’ll park. There are four employee parking spots behind the store and one unmarked that he’d designate to me.

Aly wants to wait in the car, so Morgan and I make our way up the metal steps to an unmarked brown door. Morgan unlocks it and lets me walk in first.

I was expecting a small, dusty space that looks unkempt and possibly haunted, but that’s not what I see.

It’s a studio with enough space for a queen-size bed in one corner.

There’s a full bathroom, and the kitchen is big enough to accommodate one person.

The floors are some type of lightly stained wood that pairs nicely with the pale blue walls and the gray backsplash in the kitchen.

I walk over to the bathroom which is painted the same color blue, and the tiles on the floor match the backsplash in the kitchen.

There’s a decent size tub and shower combo and a vanity sink with ample storage.

Some dust lingers, like it’s been empty for a while, but otherwise, this place is pretty clean and well maintained. Nothing looks one wrong move away from breaking, and cheap rent is cheap rent.

“So?” Morgan rocks on his heels, anxiously looking around.

“I think it’s perfect. Are you sure you’re okay with me living here?”

“I’m positive, Butterfly. I want you to have the space you need from your parents to spread your wings, and this place isn’t being used.” He looks like he wants to say more, but he stops.

The air around us is charged again, and if his daughter weren’t waiting in the car, I would kiss him. I would say “fuck it” to my whole flower and concert plan, and we’d have the feelings conversation right now.

As it stands, his daughter is in the car, and I’m excited to watch Scooby-Doo , eat Chinese food, and get to know her better.

“We can hash out details later, let’s get your girl home and watch some cartoon villains run amok.”

I head out the door, and Morgan follows. I wait until he’s locked the door before starting down the stairs. When we reach the car, he opens my door for me and then rounds the car.

“Alright. Let me call the restaurant, and we can go home and get my girls fed.” He looks pointedly at me, and my stomach does a flip.

His girls.

Aly cheers, and Morgan places our order while I try to stop myself from smiling like an idiot.

The drive to Morgan’s house is quick. He pulls into a suburb similar to the one Alice lives in, but this one looks older, more established than Alice’s. That surprises me a bit. I know he’s pretty well off, so I thought for sure he’d have a newer house in a newer neighborhood.

He clicks the garage button on the mirror of the car, and the garage door to a blueish gray house with white accents opens up.

It’s stunning.

There’s a three-car garage, and above the garage are two arched windows with white curtains on the inside. The lawn is perfectly manicured with a beautiful flower bed lining the literal white picket fence. That’s all I can see from my vantage point, and I’m excited to see the rest.

Morgan pulls in, and I notice an older looking pick up truck in one of the garage bays, but the third bay is empty except for a few tools and random boxes.

We exit the car and through the garage door is a small hallway.

To the left, I see a laundry room, and to the right is a half staircase that leads to what I assume is the basement.

We head directly into a large family room that’s painted a soft gray with gray oak floors.

There’s a large black leather sectional and a TV stand with a large TV on it .

There’s another set of half stairs leading from the family room up to another floor where the dining room and kitchen are, as well as what looks like a small office right next to the front door.

The floors are the same as in the family room, the kitchen counters are a bright white marble over gray cabinets with stainless steel appliances.

The kitchen has a massive island in the middle and plenty of cabinet space and room for cooking.

There are pops of color in the form of floral accents that bring everything together.

“Wow, Morgan. Your home is stunning.” I set the food down on the kitchen counter while Morgan and Aly gather utensils and plates for us.

“Thank you. I can’t take too much credit for it. My mom and sisters decorated for the most part because I didn’t have the first clue about what to do.”

“Gigi and Aunt Livi didn’t want me to live in a ‘bachelor pad,’ so they made sure it looked nice,” Aly explains, and I chuckle at her candor.

“Should I take the food to the living room?” I ask, and Aly shakes her head.

“We’re going to the movie room! I’ll show you.” She picks up the plates and heads down the stairs, I follow as quickly as I can. Morgan doesn’t follow as she leads me down into the basement and into a dark room with a modular couch that can be put in different configurations.

“Do you want something to drink? We have juice, soda, and water,” Aly asks, pulling my attention to a full-on snack bar in the corner.

“Sure, thanks. Do you have Sprite?”

“Yep!” She produces the green can. “Dad likes them, too. Can you help me set out the blankets and arrange the couch?”

She directs me how she wants the couch, and I help her lay out some cozy blankets. When we’re done, Morgan comes in, having changed into an old Mustangs t-shirt and gray joggers.

I’m not an overtly sexual person. I get turned on, obviously, and I found Liam attractive, but I’ve never had desire course through my veins and my panties get wet or whatever the women in my books experience.

Sex was always just something I knew a husband and wife should do.

A way to make babies. A duty to fulfill.

But Morgan in a tight shirt and gray sweatpants apparently flipped a switch in my brain because I have to close my mouth to keep from drooling.

The t-shirt strains against the muscles on his arms and clings deliciously to the little pouch of belly on his stomach.

His body is clearly an athlete’s body, but it’s not the kind of muscle you get from hours and hours in the gym.

Parts of him are hard with muscle, but he’s soft in his tummy area—right where you want to snuggle into.

The joggers hug his thick thighs and show off his…

package. Which isn’t even hard. It’s just there. Beckoning me through the gray fabric.

I’ve never wondered what a man’s cock looks like, but I’m very curious about Morgan’s. Which is a shocking revelation considering I’d never cared for my ex’s.

“Sorry, girls, I had to go check on the kitties and change my clothes. They’re safely closed away so they don’t try to steal our food. Let’s get this party started,” Morgan says, settling into the couch and effectively snapping me out of my state of arousal.

God that’s embarrassing.

I let Aly settle in before I do so she can have the spot she wants. I notice a small square of wood holding the food steady so it doesn’t spill all over the blankets. Smart.

We spend the rest of the day eating and laughing. We make guesses on who the villain actually is and keep a tally of who wins each round. Aly wins most of the time because she’s watched them more recently than I have.

I don’t remember the last time I had so much fun.

I zone out during one of the last episodes and imagine this is my life.

I imagine this is how we spend lazy Saturdays.

I imagine helping Aly get ready for school and planning activities for her during the summer.

I imagine coming home from work and having Aly help me cook dinner for when Morgan gets home.

The thought that catches me off guard and snaps me back to the present is imagining me pregnant with Morgan’s baby.

I have no business imagining something I can never give him.

When Morgan and Aly drop me off that night, my thoughts swirl around me in a hazy cloud. Before I can move forward with Morgan, we need to be on the same page about our futures.

If we move forward, I need to know if he wants more kids because that’s not something I can give him.