“Oh shit.” I release my hold on her and slip from between her legs, rushing to turn off the burners.
Laughter is all I can hear as I try to scrape the now burnt food onto a plate. “I guess now you can’t give me shit about not being able to cook.”
“That’s not fair.” I set the skillet in the sink and run a hand though my hair. “I was distracted.”
“Oh no.” She waves her hand in front of her. “I’m not taking the blame for this. That is all you. You decided to kiss me. I only responded.”
“As if I could resist that,” I mutter.
She must have heard me because she snorts. “Get dressed. We’ll run through a drive through and we can go to my house.”
“You’re awfully bossy this morning.” I stare at the skillet hoping I didn’t ruin it. I don’t think I did. Even if it is, it was worth it. I would ruin every dish I own if it meant having her in my arms.
“Not really. I’m just on the verge of hangry and we both know we don’t want that to happen.”
She’s not wrong. The meanness that comes out of her when she’s hungry isn’t something anyone should experience.
“Okay,” I sigh. Looks like this mess will have to wait until later to get cleaned up. “Give me five minutes.”
“You have two.”
There’s no use arguing with her. Knowing her, she’s timing me and she’ll take my car whether or not I’m ready. She’s done it in the past when we would go to parties and I didn’t get to the car fast enough.
I rush to my room, change jeans and throw on a plain black t-shirt before slipping on my shoes. It’s a good thing I took care of my teeth and hair earlier. The failed breakfast attempt is cleared away, aside from the dishes, when I come back to the kitchen.
“Wow, that was record time.” Piper grins as she comes toward me and pats me on the cheek. She knows I hate it, but she doesn’t mean anything by it. “Let’s get some food in our bellies.”
Reaching for my hand, she interlocks our fingers and pulls me toward the front door. I have just enough frame of mind to grab my keys from the counter. One day she’ll realize she doesn’t have to coerce me into doing what she wants. All she has to do is ask.
Why is Piper’s house always so damn cold? I grab one of the hoodies I left out of her closet and throw it over my head. These things should not be worn in the middle of August, but here we are.
She’s in the living room waiting for me to sit down so we can eat. “Finally,” she sighs as I take the spot next to her.
Most people would think we’re weird because we have specific places we sit on the couch. She has her cushion and I have mine. Her siblings always say we act like a married couple. Kind of hard not to after a decade long friendship. Though this morning, both of us are much closer to each other than normal.
There’s no hesitation as she digs into her breakfast. She wasn’t lying when she said she was on the verge of hangry. How many other people would make sure she gets food when she needs it? Nobody is the answer…except me. I doubt Rob would.
I should wait until we’re done eating to ask, but if I don’t ask now, I never will. “Sooo, where do we go from here?”
She swallows the bite she took and turns her head toward me. “What do you mean?”
Of course, she’s playing like she doesn’t know exactly what I’m asking.
“Us? Are we staying friends? Or, are we going to give dating a real shot?”
Her fork hits her plate with a clatter. Oh shit. I fucked up. Leaning back, she crosses her arms over her chest. All it does is make me notice she still hasn’t changed out of my clothes, and that eases my mind…slightly.
“After last night, and the burnt food this morning, I’m surprised you even have to ask.”
My shoulders loosen and I breathe a sigh of relief. “I just wanted to make sure because yesterday you were talking about a possible date with that guy. I don’t want to pressure you into anything.”
“When have I ever let anyone affect what I do?” She has a point. “Besides Rob doesn’t hold a candle to you. I truly want to see if we can make a relationship work. If things get weird, we can always go back to our bestie dynamic.”
The surety in her voice washes away any doubt I have about how she feels toward me. Before I realize it, her lips are on mine, much like that night at my house. Only this time I can taste the sweet maple from the syrup on her pancakes. All thoughts of breakfast are gone. There’s only me and her.
seventeen
. . .
