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“Is Chloe here? I see that her car is, at least,” Lauren asks, rolling her eyes before peering past me into the house.
“She’s upstairs,” I confirm, stepping back to let her in. “She got here a bit ago, and we were going over some of the listings Holt’s having her work on. She’s in the bathroom right now.”
Lauren studies me for a moment, and I can’t tell what it is she’s looking for, but thankfully, she doesn’t push the matter further. Instead, she shifts her attention to my living room, releasing a long breath as she moves past me to make her way inside.
“So,” she begins as she drops onto my couch, “Holt’s really laying it on her, huh?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “She’s stressing about it, but hopefully, working through the listings together helped ease her mind some.”
Lauren seems content with this answer and starts chatting about something bland and mundane, her voice washing over me like white noise. I can’t focus on anything else but the fact that Chloe is upstairs getting dressed and likely still panicking. That mere minutes ago, we were naked in my bed, wrapped around each other and on the verge of one more round of hot, dirty sex. I can’t help but feel a stab of irritation at Lauren for interrupting us, but I don’t let it show.
“Parker!” Chloe's voice echoes from upstairs, pulling me back to reality. “Where are my shoes?”
The question is innocent enough, but Lauren raises an eyebrow at me again. I curse inwardly at Chloe’s timing.
“You guys have gotten pretty comfy with each other, I see,” Lauren remarks astutely.
I plaster on my most convincing smile and explain, “Sure, we have. Chloe’s great, but you know that.”
Lauren nods slowly. Just then, Chloe comes strolling into the room, looking fresh-faced and totally put together. She’s twirling her hair around a finger, though, and I hope Lauren doesn’t notice the nervous gesture.
“Hi, Lauren,” she greets brightly.
“Hey, Chloe,” Lauren replies with a wide smile. “Parker was saying he’s been helping you with your listings. Are you feeling a little better now?”
Chloe swallows but manages to say, “Oh, yes, I’m feeling much better. Parker has been a huge help.”
Lauren chuckles. “Well, are you ready for a break? I wanted to stop by and see if you guys wanted to go out for dinner.”
Chloe looks at me, and I give her a slight nod.
“Sure,” she responds, her voice steady. “That sounds great.”
“Amazing,” Lauren says while standing up from the couch. “Do you guys need any time to get ready, or can we leave now?”
Glancing at Chloe, I see her give a small shake of her head.
“We’re good,” I tell Lauren with a shrug.
As we make our way to the door and out into the cool evening air, I can’t help but feel a sense of relief. We’ve managed to keep up appearances so far. I think we can make it through dinner, no problem.
I offer Chloe a quick grin as we follow Lauren toward her car, hoping to reassure her that everything is okay. She returns it, but her eyes are still filled with the same panic I’d noticed before. This secret of ours is taking its toll on her, and as much as I love being with Chloe, I can’t help but worry about what all this secret keeping is doing to her.
Chapter eleven
Chloe
Idon’t know how to act. I’m jumping between panic and a strange kind of excitement, and my mind is a jumbled mess as we slip into Lauren’s car to head to dinner. Lauren came dangerously close to discovering me in her brother’s bed, and who’s to say she couldn’t still piece things together as the night progresses? The excitement I feel is odd, however, because there’s a strange thrill at the idea of being caught, which is crazy.
Sleeping with Parker is making me crazy.
He, though, seems completely unbothered. He’s cool, calm, and collected as he chats with Lauren as she drives us away from his house. How is he able to do it? He’s in total control, and I’m barely keeping my shit together.
We arrive at a small Italian place downtown—a favorite of Lauren’s—and head inside. We settle down in a cozy booth near the back. To my surprise, Parker sits next to me, across from Lauren. She doesn’t seem to think it’s an odd arrangement because she doesn’t say a word as she picks up her menu and begins scanning through the options. I want to ask him what in the world he’s thinking, but I keep my lips sealed.
Lauren orders spaghetti while I opt for a Caesar salad because there’s no way I can eat anything substantial right now. Parker goes for lasagna with extra cheese, which totally baffles me. Isn’t his stomach cramping up at the thought of Lauren calling us out for lying to her like mine is? Is he actually totally fine and not putting on a poker face, after all? While we wait for our food, Lauren chatters away, and I do my best to pay attention to what she’s saying.
Suddenly, I feel Parker’s fingers brush against my leg under the table. It takes every ounce of my willpower not to gasp out loud at the contact. When I peek up at him, he has this little smirk on his face that tells me that touch was no accident.
