Darling, I’d be so in love with you even you won’t be able to tell what’s real or not.
Did he have to go this hard?
“I’m not here that much.” I scowl, stepping over the threshold.
“You have your own mug.”
“Maybe I don’t want to catch your cooties.”
“Didn’t seem to care today when your face attacked mine,” Cole says with a smirk. He kicks his shoes off in the middle of the living room and gestures to the couch. “Oh look, the heating pad you use daily, and it’s still plugged in. How domestic.”
“I didn’t bring that here. Caden bought it after I had a bad flare one day. I can’t help it if your brother is sweet and thoughtful.”
He lets out a bitter laugh. “Those aren’t the two words I would use to describe him, and he didn’t buy that for you.”
“Then who did?” I ask. I didn’t buy it either. One day, after I was curled up in a ball on the floor, it suddenly appeared in their living room.
“I had one in my room for post-games and brought it out.”
Record players everywhere come to a screeching halt. The world tilts on its axis. The moon falls from the sky, and breaking news, itismade of cheese.
“Youdid?” I swallow. The air around us grows heavy. Before today, I wouldn’t have believed Cole. An act of kindness? Towards me? Sounds sus. But I don’t know. He’s shown a softer side of himself today and I like it. Maybetoomuch considering I want to swoon like an old-timey lady on fainting couch because he put a heating pad in the living room.
“I know, I know.” He waves me off, fluttering his eyelashes with a doe-like innocence. “You don’t have to tell me I’m sweet and thoughtful. I know I am.”
Andurge to swoon over.
I roll my eyes. “Broken clock,” I say, pushing past him. I pause and glance over my shoulder. “But thank you. That was…nice of you.”
A tiny, nearly invisible smile plays on his lips as he gives me a small nod.
I shift my weight on my feet. I need pajamas, but I don’t want to keep asking Cole for more. He’s done enough for me today.
Contrary to what my mother had promised, my bag was not waiting outside my door when we went to grab it. My father’s snores echoed in the hallway, so I didn’t bother to knock.
Honestly, even if I had my bag, it wouldn’t help. The only pajamas in there are the cheeky black ones I foolishly packed in hopes of a snowstorm stranding my family at a hotel for a night on our drive back to Maine.
I need to remember to throw normal pajamas in there tomorrow before we leave, just in case.
“I’m going to go grab some clothes from Caden’s room to change into,” I say, turning.
“No, you’re not.” Cole’s voice is calm, but there’s a deadly undercurrent to it that saysdon’t push me on this.
My foot stops in mid-air. “Excuse me?”
“You agreed to be mine for two weeks, so you’re going to wearmyclothes intomybed.”
“Okay, caveman.” I snort and face him. “You can’t be serious.”
He folds his arms across his broad chest and peers at me under the shadow of his thick eyelashes. A dare to challenge him that I can’t help but take.
“Okay, so, one, I’m not yours. I would never agree to that.”
“Maybe not yet. But you will.” He takes another step forward, stalking me like I’m his prey. “And when you are—” he reaches out and plucks at my sweatshirt. “—you won’t be wearing gymnastics sweatshirts to my games, or his clothes in my bed.”
For a few seconds, he stares at me, his eyes dark and intense. The air around us swirls, pulling me, begging me to press up on my toes and kiss him senseless. It feels like he’s casting some kind of incantation around me.
His words aren’t a threat. They’re a promise.
