“But then would they like you for you, or for your bunny?”
“Touché.”
This is easy. Sitting here and talking with her about anything and everything. Eating diner food in her car.
I don’t even realize how close we’ve gotten, both of us leaning across the center console toward each other.
I want to reach out and trace the cupid’s bow of her lips. See how she tastes.
Fuck.
Why can’t it always be like this?
There’s no front either of us are putting on. It’s only us. What you see is what you get. Maybe this is why it’s so hard for us?People expect us to be entirely different people than who we really are.
The buzzing in my pocket startles me back to reality.
I don’t realize how late it’s gotten until I glance at the clock on the dash.
“I should probably get going,” I tell her.
She looks at the clock and sees that it’s well past eleven. Bex gets Oreo back into his carrier, then gets out and meets me by my car.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize how late it was. I know you have early practice.”
“I’ve done it on less sleep.” If it meant I got to stay here with her all night, I’d happily walk into practice in the same clothes I left in.
“Well, in that case, I’m not sorry for keeping you out late.”
“No, you can blame Oreo for that.” I laugh.
That draws laughter out of her. “Blame Oreo? I could never.”
She shoots me a wink before walking around the hood of her car back to her side.
“Hey Bex?”
I’m not ready for this night with her to end. I want to draw out every last second with her that I can. Even if it’s in a quiet, deserted parking lot.
“Yeah?” She stops and spins around.
“Thanks for coming here tonight.”
It’s weird. I’ve never really had another person other than family I can count on. Sure, I have the guys. But with all of them starting to couple off, it’s made my single status feel like a bigger thing than it should be. Hence the need for them to set me up.
Piper is there for me too, but she has her own life now, and I never want to impose on her.
I want Bex to be someone I can count on. I want to tell her all that, but I’ve already spewed enough on her tonight.
It looks like she wants to tell me something. Like she has more to say. Instead, she stuffs her hands in her pockets and walks back toward her car.
“Night, Nick.”
“Night.”
Chapter Nine
BEXLEY
