Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
“When did everyone leave?” I wondered.
He gathered two handfuls of green bell peppers and checked the clock on his way over to the stove, where he tossed the vegetable into a large pot. Whatever it was, it smelled great.
“Master leaves shortly before six most mornings, and Sloan and the kids leave around seven,” he replied. “Corey went with Master today—he has a meeting with Lane in the city.”
Well, that explained it. I’d finished crying my eyes out at around four, so I’d been dead to the world.
“I don’t think I moved a single time once I fell asleep,” I admitted. “Your pullouts are weirdly comfortable.”
There was something about this house. While I preferred to pick up my farm eggs at the nearest farmer’s market, I couldn’t get enough of this sense of home. Partly because it reminded me of how I’d grown up—sans chickens and rescue dogs. But my mom was the one who made quilts and patchwork blankets of old T-shirts and sheets. She loved going to yard sales and picking up random mugs and knickknacks. All of which I could find here too. When everything was mismatched, it became a theme that just fit.
“I cannot tell you how many times I’ve fallen asleep up there,” Archie chuckled.
I’d probably do the same. I thought Noa was exhausting at times. Imagine having five of them.
I scratched the side of my head, missing him. Exhausting or not, he meant the world to me—his energy was a source of life—and…I had disappointed him last night.
I patted my pockets to find my phone—I wanted to text him—and shit, I didn’t fucking have it. Okay, that was going to be difficult. Had Master Greer hidden it somewhere, or would he be so sadistic that he took my phone with him to work? What if something happened?
Everything felt so wrong. I felt out of sorts, because I was so used to following my daily routines. Put on my collar, make breakfast for Master, help him get dressed, see the affection in his eyes, read the paper with him—although, that had become a weekend thing when he allowed himself a single day off work. Then when he was off to work, I handled KC’s and Noa’s mornings. Noa was all over the place, spilling milk and Cocoa Puffs on the counter, singing along to whatever the radio played, yelling out that he wanted something put on the grocery list, asking if anyone wanted to meet up for lunch, et cetera, et cetera. KC was calmer, though he certainly had his moments. If he was in an extra-good mood and he’d gotten his rest, he could be a brat like Noa. I’d once witnessed an actual cereal fight between the two, and I’d intervened right before they’d started slinging spoonfuls of milk at each other.
I let out a breath and rubbed my hands over my face.
That was my crazy family, and I missed them so much.
A few weeks ago, Noa had quit his job at Hollister, and on the same day, he’d gotten a part-time job at our local grocery store. “So that I can see you when you pick up groceries, and also, also, also, I get an extra discount!”
He worked mornings and some weekends because that suited him best. KC had told him he didn’t have to work, a conversation that’d gone over as well as one might expect if they knew Noa. He wasn’t counting dollars and cents, but he needed to feel useful; he wanted to pitch in, all while he made accommodations to be there for everyone. He wanted to be able to see me during the day, and he…loved to visit Master for lunch.
Fucking pizza and burgers.
At the end of the day, he either came home with KC or the two stayed at the condo in town.
I checked the clock too. It was around this time that KC usually texted me. We touched base near lunch to confirm the rest of the day’s plans, whether or not I was including him and Noa in my dinner planning, who was staying at the condo, if anyone had errands after work… And I tied myself to every item on the to-do list. It was my purpose, my choice, what made me happy, to ensure all the puzzle pieces fit together at the end of the day. All to please my Owner and the men I shared my life with.
So what the fuck happened when I couldn’t trust the sun my planet revolved around?
As much as it killed me to be away from Lucian, I was so goddamn angry with him.
How could I trust him?
He could literally be having a heart attack, and he would still sit there and tell me everything was fine.
“Dada!” Kyla hollered, shaking me from my internal war. She came barging into the kitchen and babbled rapidly about something only Archie understood.