Page 34 of Under My Skin

Chapter Thirty-Four

EVERETT

Lucy walks back into the room wearing the same oversized cream sweater, but now there’s a lacy purple strap showing on her exposed shoulder.

She swapped her tight-fitting leggings for a pair of baggy jeans, but I like the way she looks in them.

Oversized clothes seem to be her staple, and it makes my imagination run wild with what I know is hiding underneath.

I want to know what type of food she has on her underwear today.

Without thinking, my gaze drops. It’s only for a second before I realize I’m blatantly imagining her naked. At least the helmet helps to hide where my eyes have gone. “Ready?” I ask in a feeble attempt to recover.

She rocks back on her heels. “Yup.”

I head toward the door, and she follows. There are a million ways I’d like to take advantage of being alone with her—with an actual bed nearby—but my head has been in a fog most of the day. I guess that’s what happens when I have to go to my mom’s house multiple days in a row.

As soon as we’re outside, Lucy says, “So . . . what are you going into town for? ”

I wince. Lucy and I shouldn’t have awkward tension between us. Last night was too good for us to tiptoe around each other. Last night was effortless. It felt right.

We should probably talk about it, but I can’t right now. “A radiator key.”

Her eyebrows pinch slightly as I hand her the helmet. “Huh. For your . . . house?”

My mouth quirks at that. “For my mom’s house.”

She holds the helmet in her hands as realization dawns in her eyes. “Oh, shit. Right. How’s that going?”

I shrug, grateful the helmet hides my face again. “You saw how well I handled it last night.”

She frowns, and I swear the blue of her eyes deepens.

I realize how that must have sounded and quickly add, “I wasn’t—I’m not talking about us. I want to talk about that, but that’s not what I meant. I just meant I wasn’t exactly in my right mind after being there all day.”

Her shoulders drop, and I hate that I can’t tell if it’s from relief or disappointment. She pulls the helmet over her head, and lifts her chin, waiting for me to tighten it for her. As I start to work on the strap, she says, “Want some company?”

My fingers freeze, and I lower my head to look at her even though I’m mostly met with my own reflection in her face shield. “You want to come with me? To my mom’s house?”

“Only if you want me to,” she answers simply.

She’s acting like it’s no big deal, but no one has ever offered, and asking anyone always felt like too big of a favor.

Besides, it’s my own mother’s house. What type of person can’t handle going to their mom’s house where they’re showered in unconditional love?

It doesn’t exactly fit your standard SOS.

“Everett,” she says, and I realize I’m still holding her by her helmet. I finish securing the strap as she says, “You can say no. I won’t be?—”

“I’d like that.” The words are out before I really have a chance to think about it, but as soon as I say them out loud, something inside me settles.

“Okay,” she says, and even though I can’t see her face, I can hear the smile in her voice. “Let’s go get a radiator key.”

“Oh, wait.” I shrug my jacket off and hand it to her. “You said you wanted to get some work done?”

She hesitates before taking it from me, like she wants to fight me on it but knows there’s no point. “So? You can drop me off at The Steamy Mug after. I don’t have a ton to do. I’m just finalizing a few things on a logo from last week, and then I should be able to start working on yours.”

Getting seated on the bike, I ask, “You’re sure?”

She laughs a little as she says, “Very,” and the flashback from last night goes straight to my groin.

Between the memory of what she felt like and seeing her in a biker helmet and my jacket that’s at least two sizes too big on her, I’m dying to carry her back into that apartment and ignore everything I’m supposed to do today.

Before I have a chance to recover, her hands are on me.

It’s an innocent touch. A hand on my shoulder as she steps up and swings her leg over.

Her body presses against the back of mine as she wraps her arms around my torso.

It’s the same way she’s gotten on my bike since she arrived in Copper Ridge, but this time, I reach back and rub the outside of her thigh, and she squeezes me a little tighter before I maneuver the bike out of the parking lot and ease onto the main road.

The stop at the hardware store is quick.

I grab a radiator key and a few other things I think my mom might need, and before I know it, we’re back on the road.

I usually love that everything in this town is in close proximity to everything else, but sometimes I wish I had more time to ride and clear my head.

Too soon, we pull into my mom’s driveway, and I’m forced to face reality. Lucy gets off the bike first and hands me the helmet before fixing her ponytail into a neater one. She doesn’t have to worry about what my mom will think of her. My mom loves everyone—especially the Blake family.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever been here,” Lucy says as she stares at the brick home perched up on a small hill. “You must have loved growing up in this house.”

Taking off my helmet, I leave it on the bike and look up at the same house I’ve looked at more times than I can count. “It’s not like you grew up far from here. Your parents’ house is two streets over.”

“I know, but you stayed.” She shrugs. “I didn’t have anyone I felt close with in high school, and all the friends I did have went out of state after graduation, so I did the same.

I didn’t want to be left behind.” A humorless laugh huffs from her lips.

“Which is ridiculous because the girl who sold me on CU Denver dropped out after the first semester, anyway.”

We walk up the long driveway. “Yeah, but didn’t you meet your best friend there and end up living with her?” I don’t know much about Lucy’s college days, but I remember Simon saying she had a “hot roommate.”

She grins. “Allison.” Instead of continuing right away, she fidgets with the sleeve of her sweater. “Things are a little different now that she’s married and settled down, but we’re still really close.”

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had left Copper Ridge.

I’ve traveled—mostly for cross country bike trips organized by Simon and the occasional tattoo conference—but I’ve never lived somewhere else.

I’ve always known my roots were here. Then, when my dad passed, it only solidified that. I could never leave my mom here alone.

Without giving myself time to pause, I knock on the door as soon as we’ve reached it.

Looking over at Lucy, I rock back on my heels.

I have no idea what to say to her, and I’m not really sure I should have brought her here.

Bringing a girl I’ve slept with once to meet my mom?

Well, technically Lucy has already met my mom, but it’s been a while.

What the hell was I thinking? Lucy and I haven’t even had a chance to talk about what last night meant or if it should ever happen again.

I open my mouth in a feeble attempt to explain or apologize for how ridiculous this is, but the front door swings open.

My mother stands there in floral lounge pants, a white T-shirt, and a towel on her head like she recently got out of the shower. She smiles at me, but only for a second. Her eyes jump to Lucy and widen. “Oh my god, you brought a girl.”

I’m not sure if she’s assuming I’m about to settle down and buy a house in the suburbs, so I quickly say, “Remember Simon’s sister, Lucy?

” The words feel wrong on my tongue. There’s nothing wrong about the introduction.

She is Simon’s sister, but the title feels incomplete, and all I can think about is Lucy telling me she’s more than that.

I glance at Lucy, but she doesn’t seem phased by anything.

She just smiles at my mom and waves like there’s no other place she’d rather be.

Just the sight of her has my heart rate slowing and my thoughts settling. “And Lucy, this is my mom, Nancy.”

Lucy extends a hand. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Same to you! Gosh, you look so different. You’re all grown up.” Mom looks around. “No Simon today?”

I shake my head. “Not today.”

Mom’s eyes linger on me a beat too long, but she bounces back quickly enough. “Well, that’s okay.”

“I would hope Simon’s stopped eating your food by now,” Lucy says.

Mom laughs and it makes her look a little less fragile than I’ve seen in a long time.

“Oh, we always loved having Simon here.” I tense at the we because I know who she’s referring to, but Mom sails right past it.

With a laugh, she adds, “Our grocery bill probably doubled during those years, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

” Seeming to remember we’re still standing in the entryway, she blinks and beckons us forward with a hand.

“Well, come in. Can I get you anything? Water?”

Lucy smiles warmly as she takes off my jacket. “Water would be great, thanks.” She goes to drape the jacket over her arm, but I gently take it from her and rest it on the back of the recliner in the living room.

“How about you, honey?” my mother asks, her eyes brighter than I’ve seen in a while.

“Yeah. Water sounds good.”

Mom practically bounces on her toes. “Two waters, coming right up!” She lifts a hand to her head and mutters, “Oh, shit. I still have a towel on my head.” Both hands go up in a flustered gesture before she regroups. “Okay, two waters, and then I’ll run and fix my hair.”

Lucy giggles, and the sound brings a smile to my lips. I don’t know how she does it, but my mom’s house already looks different to me than it did yesterday. Brighter maybe? Bigger? The walls aren’t closing in, and the only difference is Lucy.

Mom comes back with two glasses of ice water, and we thank her. Quickly excusing herself, she hurries down the long hallway that leads to her bedroom and closes the door behind her.

Lucy takes a seat on my mom’s green microfiber couch, looking perfectly at home. Hell, she probably looks more comfortable here than she did in her own parents’ house. Taking a sip of her water, Lucy keeps her lingering smile while she says, “Your mom seems great.”

“She is.” Setting the bag down on the entryway table, I dig out the radiator key. I toss the package up and catch it, feeling better about being here than I have in months. “Time to get to work.”