“I told you they’d miss me if you murdered me,” she teased when she caught me looking at the cage.
“Good thing this isn’t some intricate phase of my plan,” I shot back with a grin.
To the right, in the kitchen, Holly set the tequila and oranges on the counter before rummaging through a cabinet for a vase. Her movements were quick, as though she was trying to distract herself. “Can I get you something to drink?”
I understood how she felt. I hadn’t been this nervous to hang out with a girl since… well, I couldn’t remember when. My stomach was so tumultuous, the idea of putting anything inside it was terrifying. The last thing I wanted was to throw up and ruin the small impression I might’ve made.
“So, how have you been?” Her gaze was fiercely focused on the bouquet. She cut the stem of each at an angle and carefully set each flower in the vase.
Confused. Lost in thoughts of her. Replaying college memories I’d forgotten. “Okay, I guess”.
“Did you find a wife yet?” she asked, her tone light but her eyes cautious as they flicked up to meet mine.
I shook my head.
“That’s a shame.” The flowers were all set. The vase filled and on the counter. With nothing left to distract her, Holly had no choice but to pierce me with her pretty blues. “Just so you know, I’m not going to marry you.”
“I wasn’t going to ask,” I said quickly, holding up my hands in mock surrender.
“Good.” She laughed softly, the sound was enough to cut through the tension building between us, but her expression shifted. Her brows knitted together the same way they did when we studied together and she couldn’t find an answer. “So why are you here, really? I mean, I’m happy to see you, but I’m confused.”
“I wanted to ask you on a date,” I said, my voice steady. “It doesn’t have to be tonight. Whenever you’re ready.”
Holly bit her lip. “I don’t know. You’re trying to get married. Doesn’t dating me seem a little pointless?”
“Not to me.” Time with Holly had never and would never be pointless. My biggest regret is letting my bruised ego come between us. I spent the last six weeks of that Western Civilizations class staring at the back of her head because I was too much of a coward to talk to her. After that semester, we never had another class together. By the next semester, I’d gotten over my feelings, but not her. I wanted to apologize for being such a jerk and fix our friendship, but her number had changed and I never saw her again.
Holly sighed and folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t think dating is a good idea, but we could be friends.”
“I’ll be whatever you let me be, Holly,” I replied softly, the honesty in my voice surprising even me.
“Okay.” Holly brushed her hands on her jeans and tilted her head toward the living room, a small, tentative smile on her face. “Friends watch movies. Right?”
I grinned, even though the wordfriendsstung more than I'd like to admit. I didn’t want to be her friend. I wanted to tuck her hair behind her ears. I wanted to cup her cheek and taste her cherry-red lips. I wanted everything and anything she’d give me because she’s all I’ve thought about since we found each other again. But I’d take what I could get. “Yeah, friends watch movies.”
“Perfect. You pick something.” She walked into the living room and grabbed the remote off the coffee table. She set it on the counter beside me, then walked around me to the kitchen again. She opened the pantry and said, “I’ll make popcorn. Don’t pick anything boring.”
Because that’s not a loaded task. Everything I like, she might hate. I scoured my memories, trying to find a clue that could help, but if she ever talked about movies or even a book thatinformation was gone. I grabbed the remote and frowned at the TV. My thumb hovered over the buttons while the streaming app loaded.
I scrolled through the options, feeling the weight of every decision. If I picked a movie that was too romantic, would she think I was trying too hard? But if I picked an action movie, would she call me lame and predictable? I eventually landed on a rom-com about a guy and a girl who decide to be each other's dates for the holidays. I’d caught bits of it in the bar when Amber put it on during a slow afternoon, and the little I saw wasn’t bad.Safe enough, right?I pressed play just as Holly returned with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn.
“Oh, I love this one,” she said, her face lighting up with a genuine smile as she plopped onto the couch.
Her approval felt like a victory and I exhaled a small sigh of relief before sinking into the couch cushions. As the movie started, we both reached for the popcorn at the same time. Her fingers brushed mine, and the warmth of her touch sent a jolt straight up my arm.
Was that on purpose? No, probably just coincidence. But what if it wasn’t? Should I scoot away and give her more space? Would staying put make things weird?
I stayed where I was, close enough to that our fingers bumped occasionally when we both reached for a handful. Sometimes, her arm would brush against mine and our shoulders would touch when she laughed. Each touch was like a spark, pulling my focus away from the screen no matter how hard I tried to focus on the movie.
Halfway into the movie, the leads were bickering, their chemistry undeniable, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was some kind of metaphor for us.Was this what we could be? Or was I just reading into things?
When the movie ended, Holly leaned forward to set the empty bowl on the coffee table. She turned to me, her voice soft but final. “Well, this was nice.”
I hesitated, searching her face for any hint of what she might be feeling. There was nothing readable. I stared into her eyes, trying like crazy to decide what the next step should be. I didn’t want to leave, but I refused to be a creep who overstayed his welcome and I doubted a night out was on the table. So, I had to accept that this was the end. “Can I see you again?”
“Liam...” Holly’s easy smile faltered and her gaze dropped to her hands. “I don't know. I like you more than I should, but I can’t get involved when you’re supposed to be out there finding a wife. For the sake of Abbott’s I hope you meet someone, but if things don’t work out, you should come find me when the bet is done. Until then, I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to see each other.”
My stomach dropped like a stone. I’d known this was coming. I had a feeling Holly wasn’t the type to get tangled up in my mess, but hearing the rejection still hit like a punch to the gut.
