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We made it to my car with little fanfare, and Louis popped the trunk and put all of my shit I’d bought throughout the long day into it.
Then, with dismay, I realized that I’d forgotten my funnel cake.
“I forgot to get my funnel cake,” I cried out, throwing my hands up in despair.
I really, really wanted it, too.
Like so bad that I was considering walking back.
He eyed me warily.
“How bad do you want it?” he asked. “Bad enough to sit in the sun while I run back?”
I frowned. “You could give me the keys,” I suggested.
He raised his brows. “I could, yes. But then you’d leave my ass here.”
I wouldn’t.
But he didn’t know that.
I was quite enjoying his company.
Not that I would ever, and I do mean ever, admit that to him.
He didn’t need to know that I was still so hung up about him that even these rare days where I didn’t have the strength to push him away were still some of the best of my life.
It wasn’t that I had a bad life or anything. It was just that it always seemed better with Louis in it.
Those years that he was gone in the military? Yeah, those were some of the darkest days of my life.
Not seeing him had really changed my life.
I’d come to realize that Louis had meant a whole lot more to me than I’d been willing to admit.
Before we’d started dating, we’d been great friends. And I missed that friendship almost as much as I missed being able to call him mine.
“What are you thinking?” he asked softly, his eyes focused on my face.
I wiped away any and all expression, then pointed to a tree. “I’ll wait right there.”
He winked and ran down the length of the long driveway as if it wasn’t a big deal, and I watched him until he streaked across the street and disappeared into the Trades Days again.
I leaned against a tree and thought about how my day had gone and realized that even my cancellation today couldn’t bring me down.
I was officially high on all things Louis.
And he was right. I didn’t need to go to Dog Alley. And I wasn’t even upset about him telling me I didn’t.
Normally when my house was brought up, I got defensive.
Apparently, I’d bought it because I wanted something that was mine. I also knew that I couldn’t quite afford a new place as of right now, but I didn’t see the point in paying rent for something that was never going to be mine.
The house that I’d bought, though? It may be rough, but it was mine. It really wasn’t all that bad, either. It was in need of some tender love and care, but I’d already made the house my own.
The front porch and the back yard were quite awful, though.
“Back.”
I blinked, surprised to see Louis standing in front of me holding out the funnel cake.
I grinned when I saw his black t-shirt.
“You have powdered sugar all over you,” I said. “Did you eat some?”
He shook his head with a grin. “Nope. That was from me sprinting across the street to avoid being hit by a tractor.”
I snorted out a laugh and took the plate from him, then absently reached forward and brushed the dots of powdered sugar off of his chest.
His very hard, muscular, I want to lick between the line of his pecs, down his chest.
It was at that point that I realized that not only was I making the dots of powdered sugar smear all over his shirt, but I was also now petting him instead of trying to get him clean.
I slowly let my hand drop, hating myself for wanting to keep it there.
He’d been very, very clear when he’d broken up with me all those years ago.
I wasn’t something that interested him anymore.
But… then why was he asking me to go out on a date with him?
I narrowed my eyes and broke off a piece of the delicious delicacy and handed it to him.
“Why are you all of a sudden asking me for a date?” I asked bluntly. “Why did you come today? Why are you doing this to me?”
His eyes tilted to meet mine, but before he could answer, the rain that’d been threatening all day finally broke through and started to drench the world around us.
I cursed and ran for the car, thankful that he’d thought ahead and unlocked it before I could get to the door.
We piled in, and I only got slightly wet. Thankfully my funnel cake was still safe.
I offered him the piece that I was going to give him earlier, and he took it.
Popping it into his mouth, he licked his fingers clean, then looked out the window of the car. “Are you sure you want to do Dog Alley?”
