~Reo’~

"Let me carry it, O’Neal. I’ve got hands too.”

Jennie glances at me, arms full of folded towels. She looks surprised, but not impressed. “You? Helping with laundry?”

I shrug. “Stranger things have happened.”

She doesn’t argue, just shifts half the pile into my arms, and we walk side by side through the wide, quiet hallway of the mansion. Her bare feet pad against the marble. I walk slower than usual, matching her steps without thinking.

The basket creaks between my fingers. I never noticed how heavy this chore could feel. Maybe because I never bothered to carry it.

Jennie sighs softly and nudges her hair behind her ear....