Trusting You by Ketley Allison

Author:Ketley Allison [Allison, Ketley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ketley Allison LLC
Published: 2018-10-07T16:00:00+00:00

21

Carter

Light cracks through the spaces where my eyelids haven’t shut properly. When I blink, it hurts. Like, all the spaces in my head feel the sun, spearing and heating and melting with its rays, and I sit up, groaning, with a hand to my forehead.

The mattress groans with me, and it’s more comfortable than usual. In fact, it encases my legs like a heavenly, firm pillow meant only for angels. It’s a good mattress.

And that’s the key word.

Mattress. Not my futon.

I space my fingers apart so I can tentatively survey where I am, how I might’ve gotten here, and why I’m only in my bra and underwear.

C’mon brain, work for me. Give me the recall I need to figure out my environment and where Lily—

“LILY!” I screech awake and scramble out of bed—Locke’s bed, Locke’s room—rushing around for some item of clothing and settling for one of his tees.

“Omigod, what have I done?” I say to myself, practically pulling out my hair on both sides. I’ve left Lily all morning when I should’ve been the first to see her, to pick her up and wish her good morning and see her face, so happy that night was over and people were back to smile at her…

I spear through the armholes of the shirt and straighten it while storming out of the room when the door opens on its own.

“Why bother investing in an alarm clock?” Locke says as greeting, Lily content and eating a cheese string in his arms. “When I have you to scream us into submission at any cost?”

I cross my arms. Blow an errant strand of hair out of my face. “I panicked.”

“I can see that.”

“Woke up thinking I overslept.”

“You have. Because I let you.” Locke loses his grin just a little bit. “You looked tired.”

I lick my lips, processing, memory finally kicking into gear. “You slept beside me last night?”

His grin all but vanishes. “You don’t remember?”

“No. I do.” I comb a hand through my hair, then casually pull it out when it gets caught in the tangles. “Everything’s taking a minute. I was convinced Lily was—”

“Left alone to cry in her crib until you came to get her?”

The words would’ve been cutting, had Locke not gentled them. “Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Lachlan Hayes, Lily’s father, and I’m told I’m a great Plan B.”

A stone of shame plunks to the bottom of my stomach. “Locke…I didn’t…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

His flat gaze tells me to worry about it.

“I should’ve figured you’d be with her,” I try.

“You’re not at the top of your game. I get it.” But there’s still no liveliness to those eyes. “We’ll be in the main room when you’re ready. I’m sure Lily’d love to play with you a bit before she goes back down.”

“I remember, Locke.” The hoarseness to my tone gives him pause. I hope. “Not just Lily, but you. I know everything that happened last night.”

He shows me his profile. “Good for you.”

Locke clicks the door shut.

What the fuck just happened? I glance around the room as if it can give me answers.

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