“I don’t have the job and I’m still not taking it if Taylor is involved in any capacity.” I kiss him again. “I’m sorry. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I know.”
Leaving him in the closet is really fucking difficult, but my options are limited. I slide him his phone before leaving my bedroom.
When I return hours later, Lie is asleep right where I left him.
Chapter Nineteen
LIE
I think almost being caughtby my dad really freaked Laiken out. He’s been keeping a bit of physical distance between us, both at work and out.
He’d been so flirty and possessive at the bar, but the last few days, he’s more… dad than, uh… Well, boyfriend is probably not the right word. Not partner, either. Lover sounds too 1910s.
I suppose the word doesn’t matter. The fact is, his protectiveness at work now feels parental. As it has been before that day in his kitchen making cock cookies. Like we’ve taken a step back in time.
I’m frustrated, and yeah, hurt. Yet, I understand. I’m the one who hid in the damn closet for three hours. Obviously, I’m concerned enough with the possibility that my father will find out that I was in the literal closet!
But this sucks.
Sighing, I slip from my bed and pull the basket of crochet cocks from under my bed and load up my current project intoa drawstring bag. I’m not going to wallow in my house today because my not-a-boyfriend is being weird.
I’m going to wallow at Cash’s house instead. At least I won’t be alone.
The house is blessedly empty, so I stop in the kitchen to refill my water bottle and grab another reusable bottle for some iced tea. Mom makes great iced tea. It’s one of my favorites, surpassing everyone else’s I’ve tried.
As I step outside, my phone rings. Laiken’s name flashes across the screen, and I glance at his house. Did he see me step outside? Unlike his house, my front door isn’t pushed back into an alcove hidden from prying eyes.
My stomach flutters as I answer. “Hey.”
“Hey.” His voice is quiet. Not like he’s hiding from someone overhearing, but maybe just… Does he feel obligated to call me? Since he won’t spend any time with me? “What’re you doing?”
“Going to Cash’s. You?”
“Painting my bedroom and the bathroom. I’m skipping the closet, though. The idea of pulling all those clothes out is intimidating.”
I remain on the front stoop, wondering if he’s going to ask me to come over. “You’re going to leave the closet red?”
“Ketchup red. I realize now that Denise was using the color palette of condiments.”
I laugh. “Oh god. That’s awful.”
“Mustard-yellow living room. Ketchup-red bedroom and closet. Baked-bread-crust-brown spare room. Purple onion bathroom. Pickle-green in the kitchen.”
“Oh my god, you’re right!” I laugh again.
“I’m glad to go to a neutral pallet. Although I’m realizing that the kitchen and bathroom need to be addressed as a whole. The countertops and backsplash go with the pickle walls.The bathroom has the same issues. These aren’t just cosmetic changes.”
“You should get all the things and have a house remodel weekend like those television shows. You know, where that guy comes in and does one whole area in three days of really hard work with friends.”
Laiken sighs. “That feels overwhelming. Walls for now. The one thing I’ll say about Denise doing this is that someone else making the decisions is a lot of weight and pressure off my shoulders.”
“It also means your palette is condiments,” I point out.
He snorts. “That’s fair.”
“I think Mom or Dad would help you decide. If you asked.”
