Page 83 of Glitched Play

Because I have spent eight hours redesigning my schedule instead of admitting I miss seeing you in my kitchen.

Because before Maci, my life worked exactly the way I designed it. Predictable. Efficient. Quiet. Then she looked at me in that emerald dress and kissed me. Now the quiet feels too quiet, and for the first time in my life, I have no interest in restoring the system to the way it was.

None of those answers are appropriate.

"I don't regret it."

The confession escapes before I can analyze it.

She blinks and her eyes widen a bit.

And I think mine do too. Apparently we're both surprised.

"I regret..." I search for the correct word."...the complication."

Her shoulders relax. "But not..." She doesn't finish.

"No."

One word.

Entire truth.

Not the kiss.

Never the kiss.

A silence settles between us and for some reason it doesn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable like I thought it would.

She nods once. "I can work with complicated."

Then she turns toward the door.

"Maci."

She stops.

Without looking back.

"Yes?"

My mouth opens, but I have no idea what I’m trying to say.

Stay.

Don't move out.

Don't smile at Chase like that.

Please keep looking at me the way you did last night.

Instead, I ask the safest question available. "Would you like another problem to solve?"

She laughs, actually laughs.

"You have a very strange way of flirting, Witt."

The door closes before I can explain that I wasn't flirting.