It kind of pissed me off, actually. I don’t normally let things like that get to me, but even though I’mconventionally attractive, no one was looking at me because they were too busy checking him out.
Well, one person was looking at me now that I think about it.
John.
His attention is like a drug I can’t get enough of. I don’t even care if he’s only looking at me because I’m supposedly annoying him. I keep catching his secret little smiles after he claims I’ve done something to bother him, and each one feels like a victory of sorts.
I can’t help it. I want more. That’s why I keep draping myself over him. Honestly, I’m surprised he’s gone along with it as easily as he has. He grumbles, sure, but he lets me. Every time.
He seems to have a soft spot, and it kind of feels like it’s just for me. I really like that. It makes me feel special.
I squeeze his hand tighter as we start to walk down the strip again, still away from our hotel. I guess neither one of us knows what to say right now. I’m just glad he isn’t pulling away. I don’t want to stop touching him. It’s comforting, and I think I might want to be touching him all the time. I don’t know how I’ll go back tonottouching him when the weekend is over.
Yep, I’m convinced. I bet this isexactlywhat Blake felt like when he realized he wanted to climb Liam like a tree.
Wow. I think…
“John,” I whisper, and he stops to meet my gaze as I say, “I think you really might be my Liam.”
He blinks at me. “No.”
He didn’t even pause to consider my life-changing realization, but he’s probably just shy about his feelings and confused because he thinks I’m straight. Somehow, I managed to keep that whole thought spiral in my head.
I move my free hand to cup his cheek so he can see how serious I am. He usually needs more time to process things than I do. “Don’t be scared of our love.”
“I’m not scared,” he says flatly. “There is no ‘our love.’ You’re just drunk.”
I shrug because I can’t deny that. “Sure, but I know what I want.” And I’m going to prove it to him. “John, I’m serious. I want you. You’re big and kind and quietly funny and so patient with me even though you pretend you hate me.”
“I don’t pretend,” he mutters.
I laugh. “Yeah, just like that.”
He grunts at me without a response, but now that I’ve realized I’m into John, I can’t stop thinking about how amazing this all is. I just need a little more time to convince him that we should be together.
“Do you trust me?” I ask.
“Not even a little.”
So grumpy. It’s adorable. And yeah, I might be drunk, but I’m also very wise, and I definitely just had the best idea ever.
“We should go to a chapel!” I shout, the wheels in my head spinning on overdrive as I think about how happy Blake is to be marrying Liam. “Please, please, please, I’ve always wanted to see a Vegas wedding!”
“No,” he grumbles, walking away again, but he hasn’t dropped my hand.He never does.
“Why not? It could be so much fun!” I insist, practically skipping to keep up with his long, rude legs. “There’s music and sparkly lights and Elvis! Oh my god, do you think we’d get an Elvis? What if we got a Britney impersonator? What if we got both?”
John gives me a side-eye. “We’re not getting anything. We’re not getting married, Chad.”
“I didn’t saywewere getting married,” I reply immediately, although that thought is absolutely playing on repeat in my head, and I think it sounds like a great idea, but I know I need to ease John into it. “I just said we should go to a chapel. You know, to experience it! Everyone always talks about Vegas weddings, and I’ve been to Vegas so many times, but I’ve never seen one. It’s just part of the culture. It’ll be so much fun.”
“We can’t just barge into someone’s wedding.”
“You can in Vegas!” I insist, flashing my biggest smile and pleading with my eyes. “Please, it would make me so happy. I want to experience this with you.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” John grumbles, but there’s the tiniest hint of a smile there. “Fine, Chad. Let’s go to a damn chapel.”
“This is going to be so much fun! Who do you think will be there getting married?”
