Alone with Cael in his house with beer, pizza, and video games. Fuck yes.
Cael smirked. “Yeah, I thought so.”
“You know, you fucking scare me sometimes with how well you know me.”
“You? I scare myself sometimes,” Cael laughed.
Pushing his chair back, Zach stood and headed to the sink as Cael cleared the table. After wetting the washcloth, he returned and cleaned Taylor’s hands and face, then wiped the tray. As Zach rinsed the cloth, Cael lifted Taylor and carried her into the living room, then set her in her playpen.
“What time is her appointment?” Zach asked as Cael plopped down on the sofa with the remote in his hand.
“Eleven-thirty.”
Zach glanced at the clock on the microwave. Ten-thirty. “Shhhoot. I’d better shower and get dressed.”
Chuckling, Cael turned his head and looked at Zach with one brow raised. “Heard that.”
“Whatever, man.” Zach had been trying to watch his language more now that he had Taylor around all the time. “You still good to stick around a bit longer?”
Returning his attention to the TV, Cael waved him off. “I got her, Pook. Go do what you need to do.”
Zach stared at Cael, unable to stop thinking of what it would be like to kiss him. He wondered if he’d even like it.
He’d fantasized about kissing Cael for weeks now. But then a worse thought entered his mind. What if Cael didn’t like it? Then what? Things could get awkward. Zach could lose his best friend—pretty much his only friend—and then he’d have no one. But if he didn’t try something, anything, he’d lose his fucking mind with constantly wondering what might have been.
Fuck it. Right now, he didn’t have the time, but tonight, he would—they would—and Zach promised himself he would come right out and fucking say it, because now that he’d figured out who his heart wanted, he didn’t want to wait any longer.
Chapter 10
If Zach looked at Cael tonight the way he did when he stumbled into the kitchen this morning, Cael would end up doing something he might regret—something he’d wanted to do for years now, like kiss him. If it had been anyone else giving Cael that look, he would have already, and then some.
With Zach though, Cael didn’t have the slightest clue what had been going on behind those contemplating, wistful eyes of his. What Cael did know was how lost and alone Zach had been feeling, particularly since Abbey’s accident, and Cael hated it.
It helped Zach, having Cael around to help out, but Cael could see it wasn’t enough. Thathewasn’t enough. If he could, Cael would pull Zach into his arms and hold him and hug him and kiss him every moment possible—anything to make his pain go away—but Zach needed someoneheloved to do that, and Cael was sure that it wasn’t him.
As Cael pulled a clean T-shirt over his head, his cell phone rang. He glanced at the screen. Seeing his sister’s name, he answered it.
“Hey, sis.”
“Oh. My. God. You have to tell him.”
Cael scrunched his brows. “What?”
“Zach just left to head over there, and, well, just trust me. You need to tell him.”
“Tell him what?”
“Don’t give me that. You know exactly what.”
“Chloe.”
“Cael. Just do it.”
“Tell me why.”
“I can’t. I promised Abbey I wouldn’t. Just freakin’ trust me on this, okay?”
“Is this about your bet?”
