“I don’t know if she has one of those, and I don’t fucking care.” To prove his point, Noah retrieves his phone and presses two buttons. He watches me while he waits for someone to pick up.
“Brody, tell Alyssa I have a date today after all.”
Brody’s deep voice streams out of Noah’s phone, and it’s loud. Noah presses the end button and grins. “Problem solved.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I am.”
“I like crazy.”
“I know.”
He presses a kiss to my mouth, and I respond, wrapping my legs tighter around his torso. After a minute of noisy kisses and wandering hands, Noah pulls away. He sucks in a deep breath. “I better go. Brody will kill me, resurrect my body, and kill me again if I’m late for his wedding.” He steps away and helps me off the counter.
I walk him out, and he tells me where to be and what time.
“You better not stand me up for a third time,” he warns, his face stern.
I laugh and cross my heart. “I won’t. I’ll be the one in…” My closet flies through my head. I have no idea what to wear. I live in yoga clothes. “I’ll be the one in anything but white.”
Noah leans in for a quick kiss. “Thanks for narrowing it down.”
“See you soon,” I call after him.
He throws me a wave and a smile before climbing into his car and driving away.
* * *
As soon ashe’s gone, I call Dayton. “No need to come pick up scattered pieces of Ember off the ground,” I say when he answers. “At least not until tomorrow.”
“Why?” His tone is suspicious.
“I’m going to his brother’s wedding with him this afternoon.”
“Ember—”
“Don’t.”
“Stop acting like you knew what I was going to say.”
Cradling the phone between my ear and my shoulder, I pick up cartons of berries and stick them back into the fridge. “You were going to tell me how a one-time thing is only a one-time thing, but a two-time thing is never a two-time thing. Am I right?”
“Well—”
“And you were going to say that a two-time thing makes a way bigger mess than a one-time thing.”
“Yes, but—”
“You were also going to say—”
“Stop interrupting me!”
I pour a fresh cup of coffee, sit at the table, and blow across the top of it. “Sorry.”
“I was just going to tell you that I’m coming over to help you get ready. You are terrible at doing your own hair.” He waits for my response, but I don’t need to see his face to know how pleased he is with his insult.
I sip my coffee. “Don’t be a drag, Dayton. Just be a queen.”
