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I’d walked through with the mortgage’s company’s inspector, and they hadn’t flinched. “I’m curious to see how it goes.”
“I don’t want to waste your time. I can come get you.” The words were obliging, but his tone wasn’t.
I might be reading too much into the brief exchange, but his response to my reasonable request set me on edge. “I cleared my schedule for you. It’s not a waste.”
“All right. Let’s get started.” His frown was solidly in place.
He made his way through a similar process that the previous person had, checking various portions of the structure, walls, flooring, and ceiling. Nothing was new about the process until we walked into the back room.
He looked at the freshly sheet-rocked wall. “What happened?”
Why would he assume anything happened? Maybe I just wanted to replace a portion of my wall. Still, I wasn’t going to lie about the incident. “A nearby transformer overloaded, and there was an electrical fire. All the wiring has been replaced by a licensed electrician.”
“I see.” He snapped several photos of the area. “So that’s an ongoing risk—this building catching fire due to faulty wiring.”
“As much of a risk as it is anywhere. As in, it was a random occurrence, and it’s only ever happened once.”
“Uh-huh. For now.” He made a note on his phone.
I wanted to argue further, but I was a step away from calling the man an idiot, and it wasn’t as though I knew how to do his job.
We wrapped up, and he promised that I and the buyer would have his report in the next couple of days. I couldn’t ignore the ill-ease inside, as he left.
11
Alys
Since Saturday, every time I’d let my mind drift, it wanted to rush back to sex with Maddox and Onyx. To how incredible it felt for all three of us to be exploring each other.
Now, as Maddox drove us to Ravyn’s house, at the edge of town, was one of those times. What would normally be comfortable silence with his playlist of the day as background music was my brain remembering every touch and kiss and moan of pleasure.
My skin flushed thinking about it, and my pulse raced, and I was as terrified as I was aroused. Casual sex with Onyx had never been a hang-up. Why did the other day feel different? Why did it feel like I was letting my defenses down?
Why couldn’t the three of us be more than friends?
The thought came out of nowhere, and the instant my mind formed the words, fear sank in.
“Are you all right?” Maddox glanced sideways at me.
Fuck. I didn’t mean to whimper out loud. I summoned an air of calm. “I’m good.”
The part of me who remembered being hurt in the past was trying to sabotage the bit of me who just wanted some incredible sex with my friends, but that was fine. Nothing to worry about there.
Right?
Just because Maddox was so sweet when I thought I was pregnant, and then when I found out I wasn’t… Just because Onyx was always there for me…
I wasn’t looking to declare my love for either one of them. Nope. Not now. Not ever. Because I couldn’t lose either of them. I definitely couldn’t choose between either of them, and that felt like it would make things worse.
There was no reason for me to risk the incredible friendship we all had—even the great sex—by wanting more. They were incredible friends, and I was happy I got to keep them that way.
We parked in Ravyn’s driveway and I forced off the faucet of thoughts in my head. Like most of the houses out here, this had been a farm at one point, but over the decades, the family who owned it moved on to other things, and sold off portions of the land. Now it was mostly a cute old house surrounded by a little land, with a large barn sitting back from the road a little ways.
Maddox couldn’t find a doorbell so we knocked on Ravyn’s door, and she answered a moment later. She was a little taller than me, and her hair was a natural auburn that seemed to mock my own fading pink. She was about the same age as us.
Maddox handed out official introductions, and her handshake was warm and firm.
“Now that you’re here in person, explain better what you’re looking for,” Ravyn said.
