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Build You Up 37
Missy POVI wore the dress I wore last Sunday, pairing it with a jean jacket and some booties. I don’t know where he’s taking me, but I feel like this outfit is good for anything except maybe a high-class, 5 star restaurant, and I doubt we are going to find one of those in our small town. Excitement is beating in my chest. I love staying at home with Adrian, but the change of going out is making me giddy. I thought he was trying to avoid others seeing us together, so rumors didn’t get back to Monica. Brittany told me that she was a piece of work and how she would react if she knew Adrian was moving on with me. It’s one thing to flirt with me in front of the men he works with in my own home, it’s another thing entirely to take me out where Lauren or anyone else still communicating with Adrian’s ex can see us together, then spread the news to her directly. I don’t feel so much like a hidden girlfriend or third wheel with him willing to take me out on an actual date. I don’t want to g
Build You Up 38
The next morning, I got up early to feed the kitten and let her loose before deciding to crawl back in bed with Adrian, and press snooze for the day. His workers are done since my roof is finished, and we were out late last night, only getting back around midnight. ‘Easy access’ BBQ attire led to wandering hands, which led to wandering mouths, then eventually making love under the stars. It wasn’t rough and dirty like he seemed to usually like it. It was slow, caring, and he catered to me completely. I truly felt adored and cherished the whole time. Slipping back in bed, I snuggle up next to Adrian, and he groggily opens his arms and tucks me into his side, kissing my head. We slept for a few more hours in total contentment. I’m soaking up every bit of this time with Adrian. I’m still unsure of how things will be after tomorrow when Hailey moves in with him. I have a spare bedroom. Maybe I can convert that into a room for her to use. If she had a bedroom over here, they could both
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Adrian POV“What do you mean you’re coming over tonight?” I just about fell off the roof when Monica called to tell me that. I had to tell her to wait a sec while I climbed down so I didn’t risk my life during this frustrating phone call. I thought the bitch was calling to ask about tomorrow morning, or to let Hailey talk to me. I never thought she was calling while she was in the process of packing a bag to spend the night at my house. “Just what I said. I’m coming over tonight and staying at your house. It will make tomorrow a lot easier for me. Today was my last day at work, so I thought we could all spend tonight and tomorrow together one last time. For Hailey.”Shit. Shit, shit, shit. How the hell am I going to tolerate being around the bitch for that long? How am I going to explain this to Missy?“Monica, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Hailey, of course, can spend the night, but can’t you sleep over at your dad’s?”She huffs loudly, clearly not liking the suggestion. “Uh,
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Missy POV“Everything okay?” I asked as we walked towards the house together.“Everything is fine, but, uh, I might not be about to spend the night tonight like I’d planned.”I furrow my brows at his worried expression. “Oh, well, that’s okay. You have a big day tomorrow. You must have a lot to get ready for tonight.”He laughs without any humor, “You could say that.”His response leaves me confused, but I don’t want to press him. If he wants to talk about whatever is bothering him to me, he will. We walk together into my kitchen and he sets my bag down on the table. I guess I can put away the food I bought for dinner. I’ll just bake myself a baked potato tonight and we can eat the rest of the food later this weekend, I’m sure. Maybe I can get a few more steaks and bring them to his house for Sunday dinner. “I, uh, have to get my stuff loaded up and then I’ll come back in to tell you bye.”I nod and offer him a small smile, but my heart isn’t really in it. I know something is bugging
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Adrian POV“And I have no right to be upset, I suppose. It’s not like we are more than sex partners right now anyway. My opinion doesn’t matter, Adrian, so just do what you have to do.”I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Does Missy really just see us that way? Sex partners? Like, friends with benefits? What the fuck? I’m thinking about marrying her, but she just sees us as sex friends? Is that all she wanted from me?No. I can’t believe that. She was a fucking virgin before me. And just this morning she was talking about Hailey having her own room here. She wouldn’t offer something like that if all she saw me as was a sex friend. She isn't the type of girl to have a sex friend. She’s just mad. I can’t blame her, since I would be pissed too if the roles were reversed, but the way she called us just sex partners has anger burning in my chest. Fuck being sex partners. I could have that with any woman. I wanted to be with Missy for the long haul, and when she talks like that, it so
Build You Up 42
Missy POVWhat a horrible night. My eyes are swollen and puffy from crying all night. After Adrian left and I calmed down, I felt so guilty and awful for lashing out at Adrian the way I did. I let my own insecurities dictate the way I had handled the situation. I knew it wasn’t my place to make him feel bad for things out of his control, but the similarities between what he was telling me and what I overheard my father say to his mistresses all those years ago had all my defenses going up. Hearing him tell me he loved me before he walked out the door did me in. I curled into a ball on the couch and cried for hours until the smell of burning potato broke me out of my delirium. The kitten was roaming the house, mewling for her bottle of milk, my dinner was ruined, and my heart was breaking because of my own flippancy. I turned off the oven, set the burned rock that was once a potato in a bowl of water in the sink, fed the kitten, then went to bed. My guilt was eating away at me, but
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“Did you see those two at the market earlier? Adrian and Monica with their little girl? It’s about time those two worked out their differences. A child needs both of her parents.”“That little girl looked so ecstatic holding both of their hands. It was picture perfect really,” the women talk amongst themselves. I cringe at the topic. Was Adrian at the farmer's market with Monica and Hailey?“She looks just like her mother. I know she was a bit wild before, but Monica Anderson really did look like a mother with her child today. And the way Adrian Brewer was doting on them. Did you see the way he would smile at his daughter? Monica had stars in her eyes while watching him help the little girl ride that pony in the petting zoo.”“It’s about time they settled down and became a real family. Do you think that wedding bells are coming soon? Is that why Monica was back in town? She hasn’t been back in years.”“Lord, I hope so. Like I said, a child needs both of their parents in their life. Ad
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24 hours prior…. Adrian POVMissy’s face as her tears spilled over tore at me the whole way while driving to the bank. I wish I had time to stay and make things better, to kiss away her worries and reassure her that she was the only woman that could ever have my heart, but I can’t let my daughter down. After tomorrow, I will do whatever I can to make this up to her. I believe in us. I believe that we can overcome this. I parked in the lot, and before I went in, I decided to count the money Missy paid me to see exactly how much I needed to withdraw while I was there. I pulled the thick stack of cash from the envelope, my brows pulling inward when I saw it was all hundreds and not twenties like I was expecting. My eyes filled with tears by the third time counting it. She overpaid me. By a lot. Even while pissed at me, she paid me knowing I would need the money for my daughter, and she had made it so I didn’t have to pull another cent from the bank. This, combined with the money I ha
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