I can hardly get a word out through my chuckling. “Uncle,” I finally manage to say, and Micah stops. I grab his hands as I try to catch my breath. A shock of awareness races through my veins as I hold his hands still. Touching him is like holding a live wire. Electric. Dangerous.
I swallow. “You’re so mean,” I say to distract myself from the softness of his skin and this feeling of being so close to him.
He grins down at me. “You’re so cute when you’re begging for mercy.”
I look at his signature Barrett-brother dimple, and all the air rushes from my lungs. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. My heart thumps in my chest as I stare at Micah. How can he not feel this? How can he practically sit on my lap, holding my hands, and not feel anything? It hurts. Not physically. It hurts me deep inside.
“Get off me,” I say quietly.
He threads his fingers through mine. “I don’t know. I think I have the advantage here.”
His smile… his touch. It all pains me deeply because I know he doesn’t feel the same about me.
“Get off,” I say more forcefully.
He lets go of my hands and jumps up. “What’s wrong? Was I hurting you?”
“Yes,” I mumble, knowing but not caring he will take it the wrong way.
“Geesh, I’m sorry, Cricket. I didn’t mean to.” He runs a hand over his hair, and it falls back into his face.
“It’s okay,” I say, grabbing the remote. I press play on the movie then hit rewind. “You missed the good part. Pay attention.”
He plops down next to me. “All right, all right. Don’t get feisty. I’ll watch your romantic crap.”
I whack his leg for calling my favorite movie crap, but I’m not really mad. This is what we do. I fool myself into thinking he’ll like my swoony romance movies, and he pretends to hate them.
I sigh and stare at the television, not seeing Mr. Darcy or Elizabeth anymore. My pulse races as I sit next to Micah, my nerve endings still on high alert from his touch.
I really need to find another guy. I inwardly groan. Why did I tell Micah I’d be his manager?I need to get a life.
CHAPTER 2
MicahBarrett
Sunday, November 22
As I siton the couch next to Cricket, I wonder why she reacted like that to me goofing off with her. I know I wasn’t hurting her. My weight wasn’t even on her. She seemed upset, but we play around like that all the time. She’s never gotten mad about it before. It’s just what we do, so now I’m confused.
It’s really nice of her to let me stay in the guest bedroom in her parents’ basement, but I can’t stay here forever. They’ll be home from Asia in a month. I’ve got to tell my brother I’ve quit school, but he will totally freak out on me. So I’m leaving it as a problem for future Micah. Maybe I can find a place of my own and delay telling him for just a little bit longer.
I watch the movie with her, trying to keep up with the storyline, because I know Cricket’s going to ask me my opinion when it’s done. I know I didn’t say the right thingslast time, because she’s making me watch it again so I really “get” Mr. Darcy, or something like that.
Just before it ends, I covertly pick up my phone and google why women like Mr. Darcy. The article I find is more interesting than the movie, and I get some great talking points.
Cricket huffs. “Are you on yourphone?”
I put the phone face down on the couch. “I was looking up who played Mr. Darcy,” I say, lying through my teeth. “I was admiring the way he portrayed him as aloof in the beginning, but then showing his deep love and loyalty for Elizabeth by the end.”
Cricket narrows her eyes, like she can see right through me. I think she’s going to call me out on my lie, but instead, she smiles and says. “Yes. You get it.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief. “I think I do. He’s brooding and proud at the beginning, which she mistakes for arrogance. But he totally falls in love with her, and he’s willing to do anything for her.”
Her grin widens. “I’m so happy youget it.”
“Of course,” I say, scoffing. “I’m not totally romance inept.”
“Wehaveto watchSense and Sensibilitynow.”
