Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

was racing. As casually as hecould, he pulled out clean sheets and pillowcases and prayed she wouldn’t questionhis wanting to refresh his bed.

They walked into his bedroom. He’d made his bed in a hurry thatmorning and he’d done a half assed job, but it was still made.

“You’re gonna undo your bed to change the sheets?”

“Yeah, haven’t changed them in a while,” he said as casually ashe could. “Kind of rude for you to have to smell my stank ass sheets.”

To his relief she laughed. “Stank ass? They look fine to me. Idon’t change mine very often and they never stink.”

“Yeah, well I’m a grown ass man with male sweat glands and you’redelicate little thing who probably never even perspires. I’m surethere’s a huge difference in the smell of our hampers.”

Once again, Byron was grateful for her jovial demeanor becauseshe laughed at that too. He’d already dodged one bullet. Last thing he neededwas to have her detect the smell of Irma’s perfume or anything else on hissheets. He wasn’t taking any chances.

Pulling the comforter and blanket off he threw them on the floor.Savannah walked around the bed while he began to pull on the sheet, as if tohelp him take it off on the other side. He tugged the sheet, and something flewoff and bounced by Savannah’s feet.

Nearly freezing in place, he watched as she looked around to seewhere it ended up. Because it was solid enough to bounce and clink on thefloor, Byron was hopeful it was some kind of coin or button. Anything wasbetter than women’s undergarments.

Continuing to pull the fitted sheet off trying not to look asnervous as this made him, he worked on getting the clean one on before he glancedup as she bent over to pick up whatever it was. The moment he saw it in betweenher fingers his breath caught.

She examined it silently for a second before glancing up at him,her delicate little brow arching ever so slightly.

“Woman’s earring.”

Standing there like an idiot he stared at it avoiding looking herin the eyes for as long as he could. Because try as he might, even as his panickinghead raced for a proper response, nothing, he had nothing.

Nineteen

Strike Two

Vannah

If it’d been a simple diamond stud, Vannah might beable to give him the benefit of the doubt that it was his. Even if he’d never mentionedwearing an earring, she’d never seen one on him, nor had she noticed either of hisears being pierced. There could still be a reason why he had one. But even ifhe had a piercing somewhere else, this was clearly a woman’s teardrop earring.An expensive one if it was real. Not that it mattered, but as far as Vannahcould tell it looked absolutely real.

Reminding herself of how steadfast he’d been about beingcompletely honest and explaining about the girl who showed up, Vannah did herbest to not overreact to this.

“You said it’s been a while,” she said as he stared at herblankly, shaking his head ever so slightly. Clearly, he didn’t pick up on the outher pathetic ass was giving him, so she clarified. “A while since you’vechanged your sheets.”

“I have. It has. I-I mean yeah.” He shook his head adamantly thenshrugged dropping the sheet he’d been clutching. “I don’t even remember howlong it’s been, actually. It’s why I wanted to change them.”

Not sure how to respond to that, or how she felt about it, Vannahtook in the earring again. Byron had already been adamant, that while he didn’thave time for a serious relationship and he was perfectly okay with her wantingto focus on school, he was not okay with an open, whatever-kind-of-relationship,this was. She’d seen the genuine dread in his eyes when he thought she mightleave angry and hurt tonight and she was seeing it again now. What kind of guy agreesto having dinner with the family of a girl he’s known just a week and onlydated one time, unless his interest in her was sincere, right?  Obviously,the man had a past and that was to be expected. They’d only officially knowneach other just over a week, and the subject of exclusivity hadn’t even beenbrought up until now. But he’d promised her more than once now, without her everasking for it, that he’d be seeing just her as long as she returned thefavor. So, she wouldn’t—shouldn’t hold something like this against him. Itjust wouldn’t be fair.

“Looks and feels expensive.” She glanced away from him as she setit down on his nightstand and closed her eyes hoping to God, her delusional andhopeful ass wasn’t being taken by this guy. The possibility that she was—for a secondtime in one night—was just too real. “Might wanna give it back if youknow—”

Feeling his arms around her suddenly from behind startled her andshe gasped. “I’m a fucking idiot.” He kissed her temple as his strong armsembraced her around the waist and he went on sounding almost desperate. “I wasn’texpecting this, Savannah. Wasn’t expecting you to barrel into my life sounexpectedly and change the way I feel about so much this insanely fast.” Hisembrace tightened when she noticeably tensed, and she felt the warmth of his mouthagainst her ear. “But I swear to you I’m all in uh . . . just like we agreed,that is. I’ve just never done this, okay? I wasn’t prepared and never cared enoughto be. I’ll work harder at making sure you never feel disrespected again and I promiseyou this much, I sure as fuck won’t hurt you. You have to believe that.”

Vannah turned around and touched his face as he loosened his holdon her. “I do.”

His expression softened just slightly but that intensity she andXochitl had noticed even before meeting him was a palpable one. She’d seen itearlier during the confrontation between him and her brother—the bulging veinon the side of his head just above eye level. She’d noticed it but wasunderstandably distracted with everything else going on to give it much thoughtthen. Now she caressed it softly with the back of two fingers. As with everythingelse about him there was