It was the kind of thing he’d do. I just wanted it to mean more.
I gave Ward my phone when he held his hand out for it and let him shift me into position, pressed right up against him. The warmth of his thigh soaked through his carpenter’s jeans just as easily as it had through the ones that actually fit.
He was wearing an old plaid shirt again, too. My head fell against his shoulder when he put an arm around me, and he smelled of wood shavings and plain soap and boy. All the way back to his old self.
I sipped my soda and tried not to think about all the things that did for me.
“Turn the label out,” Ward said, nudging my bottle with his own.
“What? Why?”
“Sponsorship opportunity.”
I laughed again, turning the label out like Ward said while he took another few photos.
This wasn’t exactly one of the hot summer days I remembered from being a kid, but it was just as good. Better, even. I’d missed having Ward all to myself.
It was a shame this couldn’t last forever.
“Kiss?” Ward asked, turning toward me.
It took me a second to remember that he meant for Instagram.
“If, uh… if you’re… if that’s…”
“I’m okay with it,” Ward said. “Did you not hear me volunteering just now?”
“I just don’t want you to feel like you have to,” I said, which was truer than I should have been admitting to.
I wanted Ward towantto kiss me. I’d always wanted that.
“We can’t just stop now, right? Not until you’ve signed a new contract.”
“Maybe not even then,” I said. “What if you have to move to LA with me and be my trophy boyfriend?”
“Then I will,” Ward said.
Like it was that simple for him. Like he hadn’t hated every second of being in LA.
Like he’d do it because I needed him.
No one could ever deserve him, least of all me.
“Anyone ever told you you’re too good for this world?” I asked.
“All the time,” Ward said. “But I’m not.”
“You are, though.”
“You wanna shut up and kiss me?” Ward asked, holding my phone up again.
I snorted. “That desperate for it?”
Ward rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. “C’mere,” he said, shifting position and nodding to his lap.
I hesitated, but there wasn’t really any question about what he was asking me to do.
“Come on,” Ward encouraged. “We’re meant to be super into each other.”
