Unexpected levity flickers across her face. "Can we eat ice cream until we're sick?"
I laugh, the sound choked by the vise around my throat. "Absofuckinglutely."
CHAPTER 61
PHISH FOOD AND CHILL
GREY
Scout walks delicately across my rumpled bed, her eyes on one the pint of ice cream in Molly's hand.
Aptly enough, it's Ben & Jerry's Phish Food, sprinkled with little chocolate fish.
I watch Molly watch Scout, the two of us leaning against the headboard. The second we ordered the ice cream, we changed into sweats and tees. She's wearing little shorts and one of my UT shirts, and the way it makes me lose my mind is maybe one of my favorite tricks of hers.
Scout lifts her head. Looks inside. Licks her lips, or whatever cats have.
Molly laughs, tipping it. Scouts ears fold back, and she slips her head inside.
"Gross," I say on a laugh before sticking another spoon of Chunky Monkey in my mouth.
"It's almost gone," she assures me. "I was done with it. Let the kitty have her fun."
It's quiet now, calm, the color back in her cheeks and a smile on her lips. The normalcy of the moment is like a balm. She nudges the cat out of the pint and puts the lid on, reaching for the chocolate fudge brownie, which I already ate half of. She sits back with a sigh. Scout meows at her.
"I've created a monster," she says, licking her spoon clean before digging in, her feet sliding toward mine to shift and tangle in each other like they have been. She looks around. "Twelve pints."
"I regret nothing." I take another bite.
"We can't eat twelve pints."
"Not with that attitude."
She laughs--god, that sound. My heart sings for more. "You sound like me."
"Guess you're rubbing off on me."
She nudges my foot with hers. "I'm gonna turn you into a big softie."
"Hate to tell you this, but I already am where you're concerned, peaches."
Another laugh, this one sounding funny as she tries to keep the ice cream in her mouth. Her toes are cold. I love it. I sandwich one of her feet between mine.
"Your feet are freezing."
"Why are yours so hot?"
I shrug. "All the better to keep yours warm with, my dear."
Her spoon hovers over her pint, her face amused. "Did you just big bad wolf me?"
"Maybe," I say with my mouth full. "Why, you want me to? I'll big bad wolf thefuckoutta you, girl."
"Ooh, wolf daddy come to play?" she says like I'm kidding.
I still, pinning her with a look that makes her flush. One of my brows arches.
"Touché," she says, takes a bite, saying, "Hey!" when I take her pint and set both of them on my nightstand. And then I scoot closer, settle in next to her, head propped on my hand, the other arm hooked around her waist. She's still sitting--I down up at her as she runs her fingers through my hair. "Hey."
