“Doyou know what I was just thinking about?”
“The possibilities are truly endless with you,” I deadpan, not looking up from my laptop.
Savannah shifts beside me, propping her head in her hand and her elbow on the back of the couch. “Do you remember that time when your parents were out on a date and we got locked out after walking up to the gas station for candy, and then that witch helped us break in?”
My eyelids flutter as I fight the laugh ready to burst out of me. “I don’t think she was a witch. I’m pretty sure she was just drunk.”
“Well, yeah. But she was also a witch. She had, like, tarot cards and stuff.”
I don’t try to stop the giggle that escapes me now, but I do close my laptop, accepting that I’m not going to get anything done. “Don’t you have work to do?” I ask.
“Chlo.” Savannah sits up from where she was slumped over, and waves her arm around to the empty coffee shop.
My plan for the night was to keep her company, while trying to get some studying done in between, but The Den has gotten all of three to-go customers in the last two hours.My night of studying has turned into a night of, ‘Do you remember when,’ followed by a game of, ‘Would you rather.’
“Sassafras!”
Savannah grips the back of the couch, turning to face the front door, but I don’t move, save for a slow smile that betrays me at the sound of Maverick’s voice. Beside me, Savannah stands, and I swear she does some sort of hop when rounds the couch and takes off for the front door.
Without turning around, I can make out the sounds of jackets zipping and heavy feet padding across the wood floor. Parker groans, “Get a room,” followed by Noah’s voice whispering, “I’m trying.” And I know my night of studying is over because the Linden Creek hockey team has just arrived.
I place my blue light glasses onto the thick marble slab coffee table in front of me, before pulling my scrunchie from my hair and sinking back against the couch.
Strong, sure hands settle at the top of my back, digging into knots I didn’t even know I had. I tense instinctively at the contact, but one brush of Mavericks thumb, and both my head and shoulders drop back for him.
His achingly blue eyes fill my vision, but it’s that cocky fucking grin and the rumble in his voice when he says, “Miss me, Chlo?” that makes my chest flutter.
I’ve been avoiding Maverick ever since he branded me with his lips three nights ago. The moment I forgot he was kissing me for show, was the moment I knew I was in trouble. I thought if I stayed away from him for a few days, whatever weird feelings I was having would go away. And even though I've thought about him more times than I’d like to admit since that night, I did actually believe that it was working. All that work goes right out the fogged up window, though, when he rounds the couch and plops down beside me. His legs spread out in front of him with all the ease and comfortability in the world. Unlike me who has to force myface and body not to react when one of his thighs press against mine.
Noah carries over a tray of coffee mugs, but judging by the light brown color, I assume it’s hot chocolate. Savannah trails beside him with a can of whipped cream.
“Say when.” She sprays the whipped cream over Gabe’s cup.
“He’ll never say when,” Silas mutters from his chair. “This is going to be like Olive Garden all over again.”
“Do I even want to know?” Savannah asks.
“He made a poor girl shred his cheese while he was pretending to get distracted so she would keep going,” Noah says, pulling her into his lap.
“I like a lot of cheese!” Gabe protests.
“Yeah, we know. We saw her bicep grow in real time, shredding the whole block for you.” Noah hands Parker the can, forcing the rest of the boys to do it themselves.
“Should we work out everything for the weekend, since we’re all here?” Parker swirls the whipped cream and immediately drops it when Maverick reaches for it, leaving a smear on the ground.
“No, yeah—anywhere is good,” Maverick says, smirking and even Silas cracks a laugh.
“What’s this weekend?” I ask, trying not to laugh with them.
“Camping, Coop. Keep up,” Parker says it like I should have already known. Maverick flicks the back of his head in response, earning him another small laugh for Silas.
On the other side of the coffee table, Gabe taps his phone against his palm, teeth digging into his bottom lip. Silas sits backward in the chair beside him, lifting his chin at the confusion on his face. “What’s the problem now?” he asks.
“I’m just trying to figure out how we're going to get all the coolers in. The ranger checks before we go in.”
“We’ll just split them up beforehand, they don’t check after,” Maverick says.
“You’re going to break the law to sneak in some beer?” I ask.
