Page 86 of Trust Me

Chapter 24

Dean

“We need to talk about this,” I said.

Oliver looked up at me from the couch. His lips parted and his eyes were wide as he checked me out. It was probably dumb to come out here in only a pair of shorts, but I’d just gotten out of the shower and dreaded putting on a shirt until I was completely dry.

I snapped my fingers to get his attention. After blinking a few times, he looked at the towel in my hand. Cocking his head, he resumed his usual, easygoing demeanor.

“Did I leave it on the floor again?” he asked.

“No, this was in the cabinet.”

“Then I’m failing to see the issue.”

I gave him an incredulous look as I shook the hand holding the towel. “Why does it look like this?”

“Uh, well, Dean.” He laced his fingers on the coffee table and leaned forward. The way his lips quirked was so mischievous, it made him look like a rambunctious teenager. “Maybe you didn’t learn this growing up, but when you do laundry, you’re supposed to put things away after.”

“You’re supposed to fold them first, dingus.”

“It is folded.”

“This”—I tossed it into his lap—“is not folded. It’s balled up.”

He scoffed and looked down at the towel. The smile fell from his face as he studied it. “Hmm. I guess it could be prettier, but this isn’t Bed Bath and Beyond. You get what you pay for.”

I snatched it from his lap and went into the bathroom to grab the rest of them. When I came back, his eyes tracked me every step of the way. I dropped to my knees and started folding them the right way because I wasn’t a damn psychopath.

He joined me on the floor, watching like it was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.

“I don’t need help,” I snapped. It might’ve been my imagination, but I thought I saw him flinch. Immediately, I took a breath and looked at him. “Sorry.”

“I want to learn.”

Continuing to fold the towel, I slowed my movements. “There are YouTube tutorials if you care that much.”

“I don’t. Not for myself, at least. I’ve never folded a towel until I moved here, so I didn’t really know there was a right way and a wrong way.”

“It just looks nicer and sits in the cabinet better. Not a big deal.”

“Big enough for you to come out here and scold me.” He smiled, his hazel eyes flickering with amusement.

Without waiting for me to say anything, he grabbed one of the towels and laid it out like mine, then nodded for me to keep going. He followed my movements exactly. I expected him to somehow screw it up, but clearly I needed to give him more credit.

“Look at that,” I said. “You are capable.”

His fist slammed into my bicep, and even though it hurt, I laughed.

“What else am I doing wrong?” he asked.

My eyes went to the entryway where there was a box I’d brought in earlier. He followed my gaze and grimaced.

“I’ve been dying to open it,” he admitted.

“Why haven’t you?”

“I figured you’d be mad.”