“I’m glad you’re here.” I tugged him on the couch beside me. “I… missed you. Silly, I know. We just saw each other this morning-”
“I missed you too, Kira.” His smile was warm. “You don’t have to explain it. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
“It’s a little awkward though, right?”
He shook his head and started unloading the food. “Nothing awkward about it. Want to know something actually awkward?”
I raised a brow. “Go for it.”
“I sat outside for a good ten minutes prepping myself to knock on the door.”
“No way.”
“Yeah, and I was still nervous after knocking.”
I laughed, quietly. He moved closer on the couch so that our thighs pressed against one another.
“Why?” I asked.
“I was preparing my argument for if you wanted to turn me away.”
“You actually thought I’d tell you to give me the food and get out?”
He chuckled. “You’re a stickler for rules, Kira. And you’re babysitting. Isn’t rule number one, not having guests over?”
“You’re right.”
“Whoa, whoa.” He held up his hand. “This isn’t me trying to convince you.”
“I forgot after seeing you. That is rule number one, Leo.” I was half-teasing now. There was no way I would kick him out. Not after I’d been thinking about him holding me all day. His scent alone was enough to get him an invitation. The smell of food was just a bonus.
“I missed you and I think you missed me,” Leo said. “That trumps the rule.”
I reached for a fry, hoping the movement would mask the red crawling across my cheek. “Does it now?”
“Yeah, I think if a guy’s been thinking about someone all day, rules are obsolete.”
“All day, huh?”
He nodded, not shy about owning up to it. I liked that. The open, unabashed confession. It’s something I never thought I’d get from him.
Leo urged me not to rush eating as we settled on the couch. If he’d been any other guy, I would have felt the pressure to entertain him by making out. But we watchedSupernaturalinstead. Together, we ate my greasy favorites and lamented the downfall of what would have been one of our favorite television shows of all time if the writing stayed solid throughout the series.
By the time we got through with our food and watched a handful of the best episodes, Ms. Ryland came through the front door with exhaustion painted all over her face.
“Oh, thank you, thank you.” She let out a sigh and nearly cried when she hugged me. “I’m sorry I can’t offer you much.”
I shook my head, not accepting the ten-dollar bills she tried to hand my way. “It’s fine.”
“Sweetheart, please,” she begged. “It’ll help me sleep tonight. I can’t thank you enough for all you do. The hair and babysitting. God, it means so much.”
Even though I desperately wanted her to keep the money, I accepted the second time around. Sometimes allowing people pride went a long way.
“Thank you,” she whispered one last time.
We said our goodnights. Once the door of the Ryland house was closed behind us, Leo grabbed my hand and pulled me towards his car.
“Runaway with me tonight?” he asked, with hope in his eyes as he pinned me against his car’s door.
