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He’d stayed for the entire opening event today, smiling and talking to every person who approached him. And afterward, his teammates came over for pizza, so the guy was exhausted. The day had been a huge success. The pictures were so cute, and several were trending all over social media.The marketing team at the zoo had no doubt Puff would be a celebrity all summer. But though he’d played the part perfectly, Chris was the farthest thing from an extrovert. He’d done far too much peopling for one day.
That meant it was time for me to get out of his hair. I knew well enough to know Chris would insist on walking me home, and he didn’t need to do that at midnight. Especially since the snow was starting to pile up.
“It’s getting late. I should head out.” I followed Emerson into the kitchen.
“Ugh.” Gianna wandered in and propped herself up against the island. “You are not leaving me with these two idiots.” She pointed at Chris as he appeared behind her. “I thought you were staying the night. Weren’t we going to watchSchitt’s Creek?”
“I love that show.” Emerson slid a beer to her along the granite, then set a second one in front of Chris. “When Alexis pretended to be a lawyer”—he waved both hands—“gold. Let’s watch that one.”
“No,” Gianna huffed. “We have to start at the beginning.”
“So we can watch it all together?” He waggled his brows. “Like from top.” He paused. “To bottom.”
“What does that even mean?” Sighing, Chris sank onto a stool.
I wondered that too. From here, it looked like Emerson was trying to flirt but had missed the mark. But he knew how to flirt. He was damn good at it, in fact.
Chris shook his head and twisted the cap off his beer.
“You’ll just have to do it without me.” I shuffled toward the door.
Before I’d gotten more than a couple of steps from the island, Gianna latched on to my wrist and glared at her brother. “You’re letting her walk home in a blizzard?”
The snow had started this afternoon, but this was by no means a blizzard. At least not by Boston standards.
“I don’t make Avery do anything,” Chris growled.
“So she can stay?” Gianna almost smiled.
I wasn’t sure when she’d decided she liked me. On Christmas day, I could have sworn she had only put up with me. But today, she acted like we were friends.
Chris ground his teeth together. “You aren’t allowed to make her do things either, Gi. And if she stays, there’s nowhere for her to sleep.”
Gianna picked up her beer and shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t see why she can’t sleep on the sofa with you.”
Chris’s eyes practically bugged out of his head.
Did he hate that idea that much? Or was the response just one of surprise?
“Or one of you can sleep with me,” Emerson offered.
“No.” Chris shot up to his feet, and the stool clattered behind him. “Absolutely not.”
“Why?” Emerson smirked.
“Because I am not sleeping in the same bed as you.”
Chris was more frustrated than he had been at his sister, and she was an expert at pushing his buttons. Though I wasn’t sure if it was because of Emerson’s suggestion alone, or because the guy seriously wanted Chris to explain why he thought it was a shit idea.
With more emphasis than was strictly necessary, he pointed at me, then at Gianna. “And neither areeitherof them.”
“I really don’t have to stay…”
“Please,” Gianna begged.
I studied Chris, hoping to get a read on his true feelings.
He met my eyes, and sincerity echoed across his every feature. “You can do whateveryouwant. You’re always welcome to stay here, but I’m equally willing to walk through a fucking blizzard if that makes you happy.”
