My stomach drops. He heard—that’s embarrassing.
“Yes…” I gather my courage. “Kissing can’t happen again.” There, I said it. No taking it back. I look at Warren and focus in on his lips briefly.Goodbye, dear friends.
“Well… I hear you…” Warren says, patting Willow’s back until she lets out a little hiccup.
Once Willow has finished, he stands and walks over to her play mat, lays her down, and pushes the toy that hangs overhead into action.
My eyes follow him as he saunters around the apartment. Any arrogance missing last night is back in full force. He smirks overtop his mug as he sits back down across from me. His eyes focus on mine, and I swallow air as he swallows coffee. I don’t speak, knowing he hasn’t finished his thought yet and because I’ve said all I needed to say.
“I do disagree, though.”There it is.
“Warren—”
“Chloe,” he interrupts. He’s not taking this seriously.
I let the frustration show on my face, and he sees it. His eyes narrow, and he pauses, maybe to plan his next words more carefully than before.
He tries again. “We can both say we won’t kiss again, fine. I can be as pious as the next guy. But that won’t change the way you look at me. It certainly won’t change how I look at you. We’ll definitely be doing it again at some point—probably a lot more than kissing too. So, as far as I see it, we can either fight it—feel this tension grow and grow until we can’t control ourselves like horny teenagersorwe cancall it."
I close my mouth—shit, when did I let my jaw drop?I look down at my plate, unable to think while looking at him. I hesitate to even attempt to speak, but too much time is passing. I look up to face him. “No.”
Warren jerks backwards in response, eyebrows raised. He’s surprised. At least I can say I did that.
I look over at Willow as I begin to speak. “Sorry, but no. If we become more…intertwinedand then mess it up somehow, and you and Luke leave before my review with Rachel… I would lose Willow. I just—I don’t know you well enough yet to know that wouldn’t happen. I wouldn’t forgive myself if she ended up going into care because I couldn’t stop myself from…” I choose not to finish that thought out loud.
A heavy silence fills the space between us. With a deep inhale, I form the strength needed to look at him. He’s chewing his bottom lip and looking above my shoulder, to the spiral staircase behind me.
He nods to himself, slowly at first, and then with increased determination as he says, “January 14th, right?”
How does he remember the day of my re-evaluation?Perhaps he did check the calendar I hung next to the front door after all.
“Yes…” I answer sceptically.
“Okay.” Warren licks his lip as he nods.
“Okay?” I ask.
His eyes are deep in thought as he shifts to look over his shoulder at Willow’s play mat.
“Let’s make a deal, then.” He turns to me, and as his eyes fixate on mine, it sends a cool shiver down my spine.
“I’m listening…”
“January 15th, I get to take you on a date,” Warren says. I roll my eyes, but he doesn’t let up. I pause.
He’d plan a date months in advance? A date with me? He didn’t even want to be my friend five weeks ago. “Really?”
Warren nods once. He parts his lips to speak as my phone begins buzzing on the table. Calvin is calling. I watch Warren look down and notice too.
“Unless you have another reason, that is?” His eyes aren’t as warm as they had been. His jaw has tightened too.
The phone buzzes again, and I feel paralysed with indecision. Everything in me wants to dive across the dining table towards Warren, but I’ve already missed Calvin’s call once. I don’t want him to think I’m ignoring him.
“I, um, I should get this.” I can’t meet Warren’s eyes as I stand and take my phone to the bathroom with me. I need a moment to gather myself. I shut the door andlook at myself in the mirror. I’m flushed, and the remnants of last night’s makeup darken my eyes.
“Hey, Calvin, it’s not a good time. Can I call you back?” My voice cracks, pitched higher than normal.
“Hey, sorry,” he says.
