Piece By Piece (Book #2)

Chapter Twenty-One

The cool October night felt good on my skin. We skipped going back through Ari's yard and walked the long way to my house. Little kids were still running up and down the street with their bags full of candy.

Enjoy childhood while you can, kiddos.

I wanted to go back in time in that moment. To before Jordan and Dad called it quits. To when Jordan had me on a stool and was hemming my Little Orphan Annie Dress. Patrick had been Daddy Warbucks that year. We had run all over the neighborhood getting little treats.

"You okay Lex?" Tyler's voice called me back to the present.

"I'm fine. Just remembering when I was their age."

"Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?"

"Yep."

We made it to my house and went straight upstairs. I knew what we were here to do.

I want to do it.

But I was also nervous and a little scared.

Tyler seemed to pick up on my anxiety. "Do you want to take a shower together? Start slow."

I nodded gratefully.

Tyler dipped into the bathroom and started messing with the shower settings. I grabbed a couple of candles and started lighting them. I tried to place them in places around the room where they would provide light but not be at risk for getting knocked over. It was definitely a fire hazard in here but it was a lot more romantic than the overhead light in my room.

I pulled all of my curtains closed, making sure we wouldn't be giving the neighbors a free show. I looked in the mirror then.

Should I leave my hair up or put it down? Was I going to get it all wet in the shower? It would look like a damp dog if I did that.

Crap.

Getting ready for this moment was nothing like what they made it look like in movies. It was nerve wracking. And shouldn't there be music? The movies all had music. I went to my docking station and connected my phone.

No missed calls from Dad or anyone else. That helped. They didn't know we were gone or if they did, they obviously didn't care. I made sure my speaker was connected to bluetooth and started playing my favorite playlist on Spotify.

Should I have made a specific playlist? How would I have even started that? 'Fucking music'?

Yeah that would have been a dead give away to anyone who saw that.

Once the mood was set in here I knew it was time to make my way to the bathroom.

I grabbed an extra towel for Tyler out of the linen closet, came back to my room, locked the door, and then and walked into my adjoining bathroom.

Tyler had found some bubble bath and had run that instead of a shower.

Smart.

He had also found another lighter and lit the candles I had in here. I could hear the music playing from the other room. I was thankful no one else was home or they would have wondered why I was playing it so loud.

I felt over dressed.

Tyler was already down to his underwear. His unitard was in a small heap by the door with his socks and shoes.

His chest had broadened out over the last year, I noticed. His flat stomach had little muscles carved out, creating a small six pack.

You've seen him like this before. You know what he looks like. Fuck, this isn't the first time you two have been naked together.