Page 56 of You Saw the Best In Me

“Come on, Mav, let me stay over again! I want to hang out with you guys,” she begs, and I have to remind her that she has school tomorrow.

“I will see you on Sunday. Text me what you want to cook, okay?” I say, opening the door for her.

“Karina, do you cook? You should come for dinner!” she asks, and I can’t help but love the bond they have already.

“I shouldn’t cook. It’s a disgrace to food when I do,” she smiles, hugging Harper goodbye.

“Are you coming to say hi to Grams?” she walks toward the house, waiting for my answer.

“Not today, Harp. Tell her the bills are set, and I’ll see her Sunday. Love you,” I call out, and she waves before closing the door behind her.

I didn’t want to expose Karina to the shitshow just yet, and I’d rather spend my time with her anyway.

“Where to now, broody?” she grabs my hand, and I tell her the world is her oyster.

It’s late afternoon, and we already had dessert, so she suggests we go for a long drive.

“You got it. Thank you for being so good to Harper. It means a lot,” I smile, and she blushes.

I’ve never been around someone who reacts to the little things, like a smile or the touch of a hand.

Karina has been through more than most, but it hasn’t hardened her. Deep down, she’s still a little girl dreaming about her fairytale.

“I love kids. I might like her more than I like you,” she teases, a sly smile on her face.

“Somehow, I doubt that, kitten,” I bite my lip and see that slight reaction from her again.

Her nostrils flare like she’s trying to catch her breath, and I notice the glimmer in her eyes. It’s quick, but lets me know that she’s still very much into the nickname I graced upon her what feels like another lifetime ago.

“Can I control the music?” she asks, and I immediately shake my head.

“Absolutely fucking not. Do you want to go back to hating each other?” I warn, and she rolls her eyes.

“Fine. Play something you like since you have superior music taste,” she challenges me, and I fucking love that about her.

Karina can make anything competitive, and she isn’t a sore loser. We find common ground on nearly everything, and our mutual love for winning is at the top of the list.

I turn the radio on to a classic rock station, watching as she listens to the song playing, her head slowly moving with the music.

It’s a song from the late eighties, and I’m shocked when she starts singing along.

“You listen to classics?” I ask, and she nods.

“My dad loved this shit. I grew up on only the best.”

She starts singing the chorus, and I join her in belting out the lyrics, both of us giving it everything we’ve got.

This woman amazes me with each second I spend with her. She’s like a gold mine of qualities, and every new one I learn makes me beg for more.

“Where are we going?” She asks curiously, scooping her hair into a messy bun.

“Wherever the road takes us?” I offer, and she seems to like the thrill of it all.

It feels like we’re moving at a million miles per minute, but I can’t stop myself from stealing every single second.

It almost doesn’t seem real, like I’ve been dreaming, but when I look into her eyes, I feel how electrifying we are together.

“What are you thinking about over there?” she breaks me out of my mind, and I don’t even bother trying to hide it.