No, there wasn't. After last night I thought Rush would have called me or texted me. "I guess I just wasn't expecting it."
"I don't think Rush was either. This is a Nan party. She sprung it on him. The girl has always managed to get away with murder where Rush is concerned. I got my ass kicked by Rush more than once growing up because I didn't fall for her wounded puppy shit."
I walked over to lean against the Volvo beside him and crossed my arms. "So you grew up with Nan, too?" I needed something. Any kind of explanation.
Grant cut his eyes at me. "Yeah. Of course. Georgianna is her momma. Only parent she's got. Well..." Grant pushed off from the Volvo and shook his head. "Nope. You almost had me. I can't tell you shit, Blaire. Honestly when someone does I don't want to be anywhere around."
Grant stalked back toward the house.
I watched him until he was back inside before I made my way to the house. I prayed no one was in my room. If they were I was going to the pantry. I was not in the mood for Nan. Or the secrets surrounding Nan that everyone but me was allowed to know. I sure wasn't in the mood for Rush.
I opened the door and was glad that no one was standing around to see me arrive. I headed straight for the stairs. Laughter and voices filled the house. I didn't fit in with them. There was no use in going down there and acting like I did.
I glanced at the door leading to Rush's stairs and let last night's memories wash over me. I was beginning to think that was a one-time thing. I opened my door and stepped in before I turned on the light.
I covered my mouth from the scream that bubbled up when I realized I wasn't alone. It was Rush. He was sitting on my bed looking out the window. He stood up when I closed the door and walked over to me.
"Hey," he said in a soft voice.
"Hey," I replied, unsure as to why he was in my room when he had a house full of people. "What are you doing in here?"
He gave me a crooked smile. "Waiting on you. I kinda thought that was obvious."
Smiling, I ducked my head. His eyes could be too much sometimes. "I can see that. But you have guests."
"Not my guests. Trust me, I wanted an empty house," he said cupping the side of my face with his hand. "Come upstairs with me. Please."
He didn't have to beg. I'd go gladly. I dropped my purse on the bed and tucked my hand in his. "Lead the way."
Rush squeezed my hand and we headed up the stairs together.
Once we reached the top step Rush pulled me into his arms and kissed me hard. Maybe I was easy but I didn't care. I'd missed him today. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back with all the emotion churning inside me that I didn't quite understand.
When he broke the kiss we were both breathless. "Talk. We are going to talk first. I want to see you smile and laugh. I want to know what your favorite show was when you were a kid and who made you cry at school and what boy band you hung posters of on your wall. Then I want you naked in my bed again."
Smiling at his strange, but adorable, way of telling me he wanted to do more than just have sex with me, I walked over to the large tan sectional sofa that overlooked the ocean instead of a television.
"Thirsty?" Rush asked, walking over to a stainless steel refrigerator I hadn't taken the time to notice last night. A small bar sat off to the side of it.
"Just some ice water would be nice," I replied.
Rush went to work fixing drinks and I turned to look out at the ocean. "Rugrats was my favorite show, Ken Norris made me cry at least once a week but then he'd make Valerie cry and I'd get mad and hurt him. My favorite and most successful attack was a swift kick to the balls. And shamefully, The Backstreet Boys covered my walls."
Rush stopped beside me and handed me a tall glass of ice water. I could see the indecision on his face. He sat down beside me. "Who is Valerie?"
I'd mentioned my sister without thinking. I was comfortable with Rush. I wanted him to know me. Maybe if I opened up about my secrets he would share his. Even if he couldn't share Nan's.
"Valerie was my twin sister. She died in a car accident five years ago. My dad was driving. Two weeks later, he walked out of our lives and never returned. Mom said we had to forgive him because he couldn't live with the fact he'd been driving the car that killed Valerie. I always wanted to believe her. Even when he didn't come to Mom's funeral I wanted to believe he just couldn't face it. So I forgave him. I didn't hate him or let bitterness and hate control me. But I came here and well... you know. I guess Mom was wrong."
Rush leaned forward and set his glass on the rustic wooden table beside the couch and slipped his arm behind me. "I had no idea you had a twin sister," he said almost reverently.
"We were identical. You couldn't tell us apart. We had a lot of fun with that at school and with boys. Only Cain could tell us apart."
Rush began to play with a lock of my hair as we sat there looking out over the water. "How long did your parents know each other before they married?" he asked. Not a question I was expecting.
"It was a love at first sight kind of thing. Mom was visiting a friend of hers in Atlanta. Dad had recently broken up with her friend and he came around one night when Mom was at her friend's apartment alone. Her friend was a little wild from what my mom said. Dad took one look at mom and he was sunk. I can't blame him. My mom was gorgeous. She had my color hair but she had the biggest green eyes. They were like jewels almost and she was just fun. You were happy just to be near her. Nothing ever got her down. She smiled through everything. The only time I saw her cry was when she was told about Valerie. She crumpled to the floor and wailed that day. It would have frightened me if I hadn't felt the same way. It was like part of my soul had been ripped out." I stopped. My eyes were burning. I'd let myself get carried away with opening up. I hadn't opened up to anyone in years.
Rush rested his forehead on the top of my head. "I'm so sorry, Blaire. I had no idea."