Page 172 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

“I look into your eyes. And I just know.”

He stands there, confident as hell, eyes terrified he’s wrong, wanting to believe that nothing can tear this thing apart.

Not even me.

I don’t stop there, “Now you’re sayin’ if I say no, what? You’re gone? You’re out? Just like that.” My brows are so high they’re passing Cobain a joint. “I tried to walk away from this. Weeks ago. Many times,” I say, then point at him. “You stopped me. You begged me. You asked for the contract.

“You sat on it. You stalled.

“And while you’re stalling,

“I’m goin’ to Thanksgiving.

“Meeting your family.

“Kissing you. Fucking you.

“Letting you in deeper.

“And now it’s too late.”

My arms drop,

palms slapping my thighs.

“Now I’m feelin’ some dirty-ass fuckin’ shit for you,” I say, my voice collapsing under the weight of the words. “Some fucked-up, please-don’t-leave-me feelings kinda shit I never wanted. And you’re telling me this now? Tellin’ me—nah, not signing your contract. Givin’ me an ultimatum? After all that?”

Cold wind blows past,

taking my hair with it.

I hold it back, chained to his gaze.

“Tell me that wasn’t the plan all along, Andrew. Tell me that ain’t some messed up bullshit⁠—”

His hand comes out between us, cutting me off. “Wait. Hold up—stop, stop. Stop right fuckin’ there.”

He drags his hand over his stunned smile. Then he lifts two fingers off his grin.

“Do you hear yourself right now?”

My stare trips over the shock sitting on his face. “What, Drew—what?”

He closes the space, voice dropping soft and gentle. “Allison. You just admitted you got feelings for me.”

My head tips back a hair,

and I laugh. “No, I didn’t.”

Bro hears whatever gives his heart a boner.

He squints one eye.

“Uh, yeah, you did—first time you ever said that shit out loud to me. Some please-don’t-leave-me feelings kinda shit?”

Okay. Fine.

I can see how he got ‘feelings’ outta that,