"I guess."
Star was enjoying herself, but it was hard to forget that once she made it back home, her father and brother would never greet her as she walked through that door. Her silence boomed loudly when she blinked, fighting back tears.
"Get out of your head." With no hesitation, Swift pulled her closer, then pressed his lips against her forehead. "You can't be crying on the first date."
She smiled and wrapped her arm around his torso.
"I didn't know this was a date."
Swift looked down at her and smirked.
"It's definitely a date."
Within thirty minutes, their date morphed into a snooze fest as sleep found Swift yet again. Starlah didn't care. She enjoyed being there with him, his heart beating against her cheek. Once the movie was over, she softly nudged Swift. She hated that she had to because it meant their time together was coming to an end.
"Damn." He sat up and yawned, then stared at her. She had the cutest grin. "What, crazy girl?"
"Nothing and give me the keys. I'm driving."
"Says who?"
"Says me. It's time you let me take care of you." Swift enjoyed the way that sounded, but he didn't push it. Star was getting comfortable with expressing herself, and he was too.
"Areyou sure you're going to be fine?" She stood in the doorway of the bedroom Swift had called his since he'd shown up in the town.
"I'm fine. I guess I was more tired than I thought. I'm actually wide awake now." He chuckled. "Good thing Chevy and Papa are chilling in their doghouses."
Since they were ventilated and decorated with customized dog beds, Starlah didn't freak out. She noticed Swift had even trained them to understand new commands, and even though she wasn't jealous, she wished she'd created that memory with Chevy.
"Can I ask you something?'
"Only if you come in and close the door. Might wake Moms up. You know she's nosy as hell."
She grinned with tucked lips and shook her head.
"Star?"
She shook her head again, then snickered.
"I like it when you say 'moms' when you speak of your mother," she confessed. "It has that West Coast drawl to it."
"And?" He grinned, then took a seat to take his sneakers off. "I was born and raised on the West Coast. Want me to sound more like you?"
"And how do I sound?"
"Come inside so I can tell you." Swift knew he was flirting, but Star had made it so easy for him when she closed the door and walked as if she was stepping on cotton.
"Let me get out of these clothes."
"While I'm here?" She tooted her upper lip, wondering if she should leave.
"Yeah, Star, while you're in here. I ain't getting naked, just comfortable." He patted his bed. "Sit."
A nervous laugh leaped from her lips, following his short commands. They were the kind he gave Chevy and Papa. She noticed he'd lift one hand then lower it, and issue commands from "sit", "fetch", and even "attack".
"Okay." Star slowly descended from the edge when he reached over and pulled her toward him, causing her to yelp. He quickly covered her mouth.
"Moms, remember?"
