He turns to me, quirks a brow. It makes him look even more distant, unattainable. That makes me want him even more. “Super Smash?”
My smile comes easy. There’s nothing quite like meeting someone with a similar obsession. You can be free. “Let me set it up and I’ll make us some lunch.”
We head back to the living room. I set up the game, then go make us some turkey sandwiches. I chop up some strawberries, put those in a bowl. Lastly, I snag a bag of potato chips. I bring it all over to the floor where Kellan sits with his back against the couch. I could either sit on the couch or sit beside him, and I choose the latter.
He tenses, but it’s only for a second before he relaxes again. Hm. Maybe I’m pushing things too hard, but I didn’t get this far to give up now. Plus, if I play my cards right, he might choose to stay when my niece arrives. I’m supposed to take her to a—well, I suppose I’ll find out if Kellan has an interest in joining.
“Thanks,” he says, biting into the sandwich. He holds the controller in his right hand. His eyes are glued to the screen. It’s not a bad thing. Basically means I can watch him freely without him noticing.
“Play as long as you like,” I say. “Stay as long as you like. There’s no rush here.”
Chapter 9
Noah
For the past two hours, I have been in literal heaven.
Seriously, when I die, wherever I go after that, I hope it looks just like this: a living room with every console system ever made, every video game ever created.
To be honest, I feel bad. I’m basically taking up space in Max’s living room. Every time I ask him if I’m overstepping, he smiles warmly, causing my pulse to jump, and says he’s happy to have me here. Which is... nice. I’m learning Max is a nice guy. And the strangest thing? I don’t feel like I have to put on a front with him where my interests are concerned.
The problem is, I’m lying to him about my identity. At the end of the day, I shouldn’t care. We’re not friends. I don’t owe him anything. I’m playing a role. But it’s kind of a shitty thing to do. Were I Noah and not Kellan, I could see us spending more time together. He’s a nerd at heart, like me.
A nerd jock. That’s different. We sit beside one another on the couch. He smells like sweat, which on my brothers is gag-inducing, but on him it’s a subtle thing. There’s also the clean scent of his laundry detergent. It’s somewhat distracting. If I return my focus to the game, I tend not to notice it, but every time Max shifts into a more comfortable position, I inevitably become aware of our nearness.
“So what was the first game you ever played?” he asks, grabbing a handful of chips from the bowl on the coffee table.
“Frogger on PS1.” I peek at him from the corner of my eye. His gaze rests on me, weighted. I lick my lips, and I swear that catches his attention. “You?”
“Super Mario World on Super Nintendo.”
“Now that’s old school. Are you interested in video game programming or…?” I trail off, resting the controller on my thigh.
“Eh.” He shrugs. “I’m open to anything really. I think working on apps would be cool. I’ve done a few website design jobs here and there for extra cash when I needed it. Or working for one of the big companies. I like how logical coding is. The learning curve is steep, but once you understand the language, it’s smooth sailing.” He spreads out his arm as if drawing my attention to a particularly stunning view. Then he winks at me, and I feel myself flush.
“Ah.” I look back at the television screen. Safe to say I’m an idiot when it comes to conversing with attractive men, and Max is more attractive than most. Someone should lock me in a freezer.
Luckily, a knock on the door distracts him from my poor social skills. I look at him in question because my tongue isn’t up to being witty.
“That’s my niece,” he explains, rubbing a hand over his head. “We’re, ah, heading to one of her friend’s birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese.”
“Oh.” Didn’t realize he already had plans. I start to get up. “I can get out of your hair—”
“No!” He reaches forward, then stops, his hand hovering over my forearm. Max drops his hand quickly. “Sorry. I should have warned you about it but I wanted to hang out. We’re not leaving immediately. And you can meet Chloe.” At my silence, he adds, “I totally understand if you want to bail.”
“Um.” I’m still thinking it over when the knock comes again and a little girl squeals, “Uncle Max, open up!”
Max is up, pulling open the door for who I assume is his sister and her daughter. The girl blinks up at him with her big eyes and ridiculous curly hair, her chocolate-smeared mouth. She looks to be around five years old.
Max hauls her into his arms, pretending he’s a monster chewing on her neck. “Nom, nom, nom,” he rumbles. “Mmm, look at this tasty treat!”
She giggles, squirming in his arms. “No!” she screams. “Get away! Uncle Max is the big bad monster!”
A smile pulls at my mouth. That’s cute.
He sets her down, and she runs past him into the apartment. I think she’s heading for the kitchen, or the bedroom, maybe, but no. She comes right up to me and plops herself into my lap. I hold myself awkwardly, not sure what to do. I’m half-aware of Max talking with his sister at the door. He leans in and kisses her cheek. Says, “Want to come in for a minute?”
“Can’t. I’m late enough as it is. Thanks again for watching Chloe. I should be back around ten tonight.”
