He intertwines his fingers with mine. “That’s all you can do. Just be there when it matters.”
Tension coils in my chest, and I’m suddenly hyperaware of how quiet the house is. I glance at him, stretched out across the couch like he owns the place—he’s probably more at home here than I am, andIlive here. It’s almost like he’s unpacking histhings in his mind. And that thought terrifies me more than it should.
“Since when are we officially a couple?” The words fall out before I’ve had time to hide them behind a joke or a smile.
Jared pauses mid-stretch, his hand still behind his head, and raises an eyebrow at me. His way of asking mewhat are you talking about?.
“My mom called you my boyfriend earlier. I didn’t realize she made that official for us. Did I miss a memo?”
He angles his head, his lips curving into a smirk. “Since the night you stood up for yourself and called me your boyfriend. What a grand gesture.”
“Did I? I don’t recall.”
“You kissed me,” he points out, entirely too smug. “Pretty sure that sealed the deal.”
My face burns hotter than a fireplace at full blaze. “That was before—” I cut myself off.
Jared swings his feet to the floor and stands in one smooth move. He looks down at me with that same unreadable intensity—the kind that makes my heart stutter, even when I know he’s just messing with me.
“Before what?” he challenges quietly.
I search for something to say, some witty comeback that’ll derail whatever he’s trying to get me to admit. But there’s nothing. Because Jared’s right. It did mean something. More than I want to acknowledge, it means something.
His gaze shifts slightly, enough for me to catch my breath. “Alli, you know we’re past all the fake dating crap and time away from each other. You don’t need to overthink this.”
“I’m not overthinking it,” I lie, my heart racing anyway. “I just didn’t realize that was the official Facebook relationship status change.”
“Yeah, you are.” Jared crouches down so we’re eye to eye, his presence pushing closer until it feels impossible to breathe without inhaling him, too. He rubs my thighs in comfort. “Okay, if that wasn’t official enough, let’s go the direct route.” His voice lowers in confidence. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?”
I swallow hard. The question hangs there, far simpler than I ever expected. “Jared…”
“Yes or no, Alli,” he presses, unrelenting but impossibly gentle.
The air leaves my lungs in a shaky rush. My fingers curl into my lap as I gather the courage to look up at him, locking eyes with the boy who’s somehow seen more of me than I was ever prepared for. “Yes.”
He grins, like he knows something I don’t, making my pulse beat like a drum. “Do you love me? Yes or no?”
I shouldn’t let him throw me off course like this. But right now, I wouldn’t change a thing. I meet his eyes, my lips pulling into a grin.
“Yes.”
We just smile, both of us still caught in the moment. Then Jared shifts closer, his lips grazing mine—quick, teasing, and it’s like everything stops.
He doesn’t move far, just enough to breathe against my lips, and his eyes hold mine like he sees every messy corner I’ve tried to hide.
“Told you it wasn’t so hard.”
I roll my eyes because, of course, Jared would celebrate the win like he’s just solved world peace. His grin deepens, pulling back only to straighten to his full height, hands sliding into his hoodie pockets like he’s about to lay down a challenge.
“Now, time for the official question,” his voice turns loud and certain, the way he sounds on the field right before he calls a play. “Alli, will you be my girlfriend?”
I look up at him, speechless, my heart already answering for me. The words feel like a punchline, but I don’t hesitate.
“You’re impossible.”
“And you love that about me,” he shoots back.
I huff out a laugh, rolling my eyes because damn it, he’s right. “Fine.”
