“Absolutely.”
“You’d take naked pictures of all the hot guys you’ve slept with, print them out, and have a designated place of worship dedicated to their nude photographs?”
She tilts her head before sighing. “You’re right. That’s weird.”
I laugh again.
“Well, what do I know about what people do! I’ve only ever been with one person and that was, like, the summer after high school. I mean, yeah I’m still on the pill and stuff, butit’s not because I have a ton of experience in this department.”
Her cheeks tinge the slightest shade of rose in embarrassment, and I can’t help but notice how utterly perfect she is in every way.
“That’s a good thing, Alana,” I say, pride blooming in my chest at knowing she hasn’t shared herself in a way I desperately want to know her. “Your brain landing on a shrine of hotties, on the other hand…”
“Shut up.” She smiles, nudging me in the shoulder. “Anyway,” she swallows, “I’m not a saint or anything.” She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “My life has just been so full lately, I haven’t had a chance to date. It’s not…intentional.” She looks up at me through long lashes, and the touch of pink returns to her cheeks. “Not that I would sleep around if I weren’t busy! I just mean… I wouldn’t… Like…”
A smile appears on my face. She’s adorable when she scrambles like this. I laugh a little before calming her nerves. “Hey, it’s okay. I know what you mean.”
She takes a relieving breath. “Okay…yeah. It’s just… Thank you.”
I nod.
She tucks her hair behind both ears. “And thanks for saying it’s a good thing,” she adds. “Admittedly, my standards are super high, so I’d probably never sleep with anyone here anyway unless they were, like, I don’t know, superhot and nice and all that, but it’s not like I even have the time to notice. Being too busy for boys has its perks, I guess.”
“You’re not too busy for me.”
“You don’t count,” she says with an eye roll.
“Oh, no?” I smile down at her knowingly.
“What?” she asks, eyes flicking to my grin. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
My smile deepens. “I’m just remembering a few seconds ago when you called me hot.”
“What, n-no.” She trips over her words. “I didn’t say that.”
“Yes, you did. That's two times now.”
“No, it’s not. I’ve never said—”
“Uh-huh. At the bar, you said I wasattractive and stuffright around the time you called me adorable—I still think about that, by the way—and now you just said you’d steal my naked picture and keep it in your tabernacle of hotties because I’m hot.”
“That isnotwhat I said.”
I shrug. “It’s basically what you said.”
“No, it is not,” she huffs. “I mean,obviouslyyou are, but that’s like—wait.”
And there it is. That perfect shade of flustered rose that kisses her cheeks when she’s worked up. She holds a hand up in front of her as if to stop time itself. I stifle another chuckle, but my amused grin stays pasted on. “You’re confusing me. What I meant to say was…” Her eyes bounce all over me. I watch her, waiting for this defense she thinks she has.
And then, she sighs. “Okay, fine, you’re hot.”
My face splits into a toothy grin at her admission, and she blushes. My body shakes with the laughter I’m trying to hold in.
“Oh, shutup,” she exclaims with a wide smile. “Well, that was my point—you’re hot. Macey's hot. Hot people unite.” Shenudges me in my shoulder again, and this time, I grab her hand and enclose it in mine, bringing it to my chest.
“It wasn’t like that,” I clarify, the playfulness in my tone gone. “I’m not that kind of guy.”
“You could be. I wouldn’t blame you if you were.”
