“Ryan said the same thing when I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. But it was different when he said it.Mean.” A heat crawls up my neck. Whether it’sfrom the memory or the way Ty’s looking at me now, I can’t decipher.
“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I’m sorry?—”
“No, I know. You’re fine. Ryan was just… He was upset.”
“So he called you ridiculous?”
I nod.
Ty stiffens. “That guy’s a joke. I can’t believe you agreed to see him more than once.”
“We only hung out twice.”
“I know.”
My brow knits. “Were you keeping tabs on my personal life?”
“Hard not to when we’re living under the same roof.”
Dollyboy hops onto the arm of the couch, chirping as he beelines for the open spot beside Ty. He scratches behind the cat’s ears as Dolly curls up beside him. “You can’t tell me he hasn’t acted like this from the jump.”
“Like what?” I press.
“Like everyone else in the immediate vicinity is more important than you.”
“Well, weweresharing a table with the reigning Super Bowl champs.”
“So?” His eyes lock on mine, his tone hardening. “If your date is ignoring you for a bunch of dudes, that’s a red flag.”
I chuckle.
He frowns harder. “What? You’re a thousand times more interesting than any of those guys, and I’d know.”
“Ryan would disagree.”
It’s meant to be a joke, but Ty’s jaw clenches so hard I swear I can hear his teeth grinding. “You deserve better.”
“Thanks.”
I grab for popcorn at the exact same time he does. A fluttery warmth zings its way up my arm as our fingers brush in the bowl. My body tenses, and I pull my hand back like I’ve been shocked.Good gravy, Avery. Overreact much?
“If you wanted to hold my hand, you could just ask, you know,” I joke.
He fixes me with a hooded gaze. “Would you say yes?”
A laugh burbles from some awkward place in my throat. I feel like I’m back in eighth grade on my first date at the movie theater. Only this time, my mom won’t be waiting to pick me up after. A shiver works its way over my entire body as his focus falls to my mouth before finding my stare again. Even in the dim ambiance of movie night, his eyes are unbelievably blue. They’re beautiful. They’re also incredibly bloodshot.
“Ty, are you okay?”
He clears his throat, leaning back, blinking a few times. “Yeah, I—um. It’s my contacts. And maybe a cat allergy. I don’t know. I just need to—Will you pause the movie?” In a second flat, he’s standing, practically sprinting across the house and up the stairs before I even hit the button.
Great job, Avery. Way to ruin the moment.
There was a moment, right? I mean… he looked at my mouth? I think? That’s got to mean something. Maybe I imagined it all. Maybe it was the allergies.
Dollyboy stares up at me but doesn’t move from his spot beside where Ty once sat. It’s like he’s waiting for himto come back. That makes two of us. A few minutes later, Ty returns, and my heart stumbles around my chest.
He’s wearing his glasses.
