I’m out of my seat before I even realize it. “Is everything?—”
“Everything’s fine, baby,” Beck cuts me off. “He just wants to check in. I’ll be back, you eat.”
I let out a small sigh in relief. “Okay, tell them I said hi.”
Beck nods then holds his phone up to his ear before heading up the stairs. I watch and wait for him to disappear then Dottie’s up and chasing after him.
A smack comes to my arm. “Jensen James. You better start talking.”
I look at my sister, eyes wide. “Okay, first, ow, and second, what the hell was that for?”
“Oh, don’t you dare. I knew something had to be going on with how damn happy you look, but that man just called youbaby, and you want to gloss over it.”
I sputter a laugh. “What? No, he didn’t.”
“Yeah, he did. I know it just happened but I’m replaying it in my head because I’m pretty sure I almost fell out of my seat with a swoon.”
Wait…he did say baby. I hadn’t even really registered it, it just felt natural to hear.
Stella’s voice turns to a whisper. “Jensen, you like him.”
“Well, duh, you are one of the few who actually knows how I feel about him.” I take a deep breath. “But it’s not?—”
“No, Jennie, it is like that. Try again.”
I sit back down next to her. “It is, but it isn’t at the same time. Can you just trust me? This isn’t anything like what happened with Travis. We’re not even really dating, just roommates with benefits.”
Stella hums softly. I know she’s leery, but that’s simply from my past experience, not her lack of trust.
When she doesn’t say anything, I add, “I told him he’s not allowed to kiss me. I know in my gut that it would be the end of me. I have boundaries set and so does he.”
“Good, and listen, I’m never here to judge you. If you want to date Beck, then date Beck. He seems really great.”
“We’re not dating, Stel. Just…getting it out of our system.”
Stella’s eyebrows raise up high. “O-kay!If you say so.”
“We’re not dating. I’m serious.”
Stella holds her hand up to count. “You live together, the man calls you ‘baby,’ I’m imagining you both are exclusively fooling around with each other during this time…a.k.a dating.”
Well, shit, when she puts it like that…
“But we don’t kiss, we don’t go on dates, per se…we just happen to enjoy each other’s company.” Alright, not helping myself too much here. “And there’s a definite end, remember? He may have called me baby, but he also said it was temporary.”
Stella stands up with a smug smile and grabs a plate. “Temporary, my ass.”
I reach for my glass and send the remainder of my wine straight down my throat. Come on alcohol, help me out here.
Stella stops filling up her plate and pours more in my glass. “You might as well take the bottle, Sis. It makes the delusion easier to swallow.”
The evil eye I give her doesn’t faze her, and for that, I drink some more.
“You know, you didn’t want me to do a reading last time we were on the phone but I did one for you anyway. Want to know what I learned?”
“No,” I answer immediately. “I’m begging you, please.”
Stella shakes her head as she digs through the food boxes. “Fine, fine, I won’t say anything. However?—”
