The Lockwood Boys

Griffin

Lilith

"Mom I never understood why you come to these house auctions," I tell her flipping through the house catalog. "We're poor," I finish when she's already looking at me with a blank expression.

"So? You don't need to have money to appreciate pretty houses," she coos flipping through a book of her own. She swiftly turns backs to me with scrunched brows. "We're not poor!" She protests finally comprehending the jab at our not so lavish life. "We're just.." she pauses looking for the right word to cover up the fact that we're indeed poor. Her face lights up with realization. "Comfortable," is what she settles with to describe our life.

"That's one word for it sure. Along with poor, broke, misfortune, shall I go on," I reply which only makes her roll her eyes. "You're no fun, let me dream of giving us this kind of home and life, one day even if I don't, you'll have it," she points her index finger in the air. I return an eye roll of my own. "Yeah right mom, if I ever live in a mansion, you'll be right there with me," that response makes her smile and hug me.

In the middle of our hug an alarm goes off and when I look up at my mother her face is now a giant alarm clock.

Now

I shoot up with a gasp which eventually turns into sucking in multiple breaths trying to return to a steady rhythm of breathing. After what feels like forever, I'm okay. Looking around my room I feel less okay. My room so far has gotten a giant California queen sized bed, a nightstand, an empty shelf, a desk with nothing on it, and a big ugly rug that has so right being on such a beautiful floor. That's the first thing that's gotta go.

Caleb gave me a room decor card gift card that I have yet to use so maybe that's how I'll spend my Saturday. Maybe even my Sunday. I smile as I hop out of bed and grab the gift card from my nightstand and begin the activation process.

"Your card is now active, your available funds are 10,000 dollars," the automated message person says and I nearly go limp at the amount of money that was said. That much money for room decor?! That'll pay for decor, a new wardrobe and my breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next year.

Despite what I said the first thing I do is go on my phone and then on Apple.com.

I decide a laptop wouldn't be the worst purchase of my life and settle on a silver model costing... almost 2000?!? Jesus Christ. Putting in the card information and hitting order I sigh. First purchase complete. That was actually kinda mentally draining.

I walk out of my room on the hunt for Caleb. I want to know if he could take me to a decor store or something I really want to shop for my room. Walking down the maze of hallways and eventually reaching the kitchen my heart does a million backflips when I see Griffin leaning on the counter. Shirtless. Oh. God.

He's scrolling on his phone with one hand and holding a smoothie with the other mindlessly unaware to my wandering stare. My eyes start on his face. Tan skin with those greyish blue eyes.

Despite my best efforts my eyes trail down his sharp jawline down to his defined shoulders. His muscles twitch under my sight. Eventually I find my stare down at his bare chest and abs eventually finding my way down to his V line. Before my eyes could go any lower I force them back onto his face.

I also jump out of my skin when I see the smirk on his face. When I look into his eyes they're dark. The light greyish blue they usually are replaced with dark almost black pools.

"Keep staring at me like that, mia cara," he says almost causing me to jump again. His voice is so low and sensual that it crawls under my skin and grips me from the inside. "And I might have to do something about it," his smirk dies when he realizes his words. I shift in my stance getting a warm feeling in my stomach which he notices. The flicker in his eyes proves that. Curious on what else would set him off, I drag my tongue across my bottom lip catching the end of it in my teeth.