“Like…”—He rubs his hands down his pants—“anything you want. It’s your turn to pick.”
“Fine. Whatever. I’ll pick.”
“Can you do that while I shower?” His smile seems forced.
I nod, my stomach dropping. Even knowing he wants to kiss me can’t make up for how it feels whenever he pushes me away.
My old habit of picking out the flaws in my partners doesn’t feel so prominent now, because he doesn’t have any. Now, the thing keeping me away from the partner I want is… it’s everything else.
He wanted me in the woods, but it’s hard to believe he still does.
That’s fine. I can do what I’ve been doing for so long. I can put myself first. If he really wants me to pick a movie I like, I will. One cheesy romantic comedy coming right up. Theo will have to suffer with my choices.
I know he’s done showering before I can hear or see him. The smoky, woodsy scent that has come to remind me ofhimfills the room once he opens the bathroom door. When I look up, I’m hit by more than the smell—it’s him.
Water drips from his soaking, curly hair onto his white T-shirt.
I swallow thickly and turn away, staring at the unmoving TV screen. “I found a movie I’ve been wanting to watch.”
“Oh yeah? Put it on.” He doesn’t even ask what it is as he moves back to the rocking chair.
Enough is enough. Even if he doesn’t want to kiss me again, I have to end this distance.
“You can sit with me, you know.” I pat the spot next to me. “There’s plenty of room. I know that chair isn’t comfortable, and you know I don’t bite.”
But I would bite him if he asked nicely.
He hesitates and, after a moment, redirects himself. “It isn’t…” There’s a pause before he sits next to me, pressed to the other end of the couch.
He is still so far away, but at least he’s here. I’m desperate, I realize, but I keep the desperation under lock and key.
Our silences used to be so comfortable. I still remember watching the sunset together, surrounded by only the chirping crickets. It was a comfortable silence. Now, there’s tension as we watch the film.
I glance at him from the corner of my eye. Sometimes, I find him watching me, too.
The movie plays in the background, and even though it’s been on my to-watch list for months, it doesn’t capture my attention. A game of stealth does. I scoot closer to him, moving slowly, hoping he doesn’t realize what I’m doing.
It’s halfway through the movie by the time he says something.
“You think you’re sneaky, don’t you?” He shakes his head, still not looking at me.
A smile dances on my lips. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do.” He finally turns his head, fixing his hungry gaze on me. “Do you know how hard it is to keep my hands to myself? You’re testing me.”
My lips pop open. “I’m not.”
“Good.” He leans in closer, his face inches from mine. “Because I won’t fail—no matter how much you want me to.”
“I think you want to, too.” In a defiant move, I move as close as possible, swinging a leg over him to straddle his lap.
He groans, his head leaning back. “Evie… please…”
I’m hesitant, ready to move off if he gives the signal—whether he asks me to stop or pushes me off. He does the opposite. His fingers dig into my thighs, and he pulls me down, keeping me in place.
“There are a million reasons I should push you away,” he whispers harshly. “We should stop. Do you want to know why?”
It’s almost like when we were on the plane. He started listing the causes of turbulence to calm me down. Now, he’s trying totalk me down with the facts. No matter how frustrating he is, he’s still so… well,adorable.
