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“See. You might not have a dad, but you have Evan, and he loves you so much. If I were you, I’d feel lucky to have him.”
“I do, I do,” he shrieked. “Evan is the bestest.”
Becca sat back in her seat, and I glanced over at her. She smiled, and my hand found her knee across the stick, squeezing gently. “Thank you,” I mouthed. I was beginning to wonder what I’d do without her.
* * *
“Five more minutes,” I called to Eli while I washed the dishes. Becca had helped me make spaghetti, and the three of us had eaten around the small table. Then we’d played Chutes and Ladders before I bathed Eli while Becca watched television. He was now curled up beside her, reading one of his favorite books.
I dried my hands as I leaned against the wall, watching them. Becca had been reluctant to come back to the house at first, and I didn’t blame her. But I wanted her here and so did Eli.
I glanced at the clock. It was almost seven thirty. Mom would be home in an hour, which meant my time with Becca—alone—was seriously running short.
“You in thePaw Patrolpajamas, let’s go, buddy, bedtime.”
Eli groaned, wrapping himself around Becca’s waist. “I don’t wanna.” She leaned down and whispered something to him, and he giggled. “Good night, Becca.”
“Night, buddy.” She ruffled his hair as he climbed down and came over to me, arms wide. I scooped him up and carried him to his room, tucking him in like a burrito.
“Sleep tight, E. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
He yawned. “Loves you, Ev. Night.”
I hit the switch and closed his door, leaving a small enough gap to let some light seep in for him. Back in the living room, Becca had sprawled out on the couch. I took a second to watch her. She looked comfortable. I liked it.
“Hey,” I said, approaching her. She smiled, reaching for my hand. “Hey.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Becca asked innocently.
“Coming back with us. Eli’s loved having you over.”
Becca’s smile grew, and she started to shuffle into a sitting position, but I beat her to it, bending down to kiss her. “Come on.” I tugged her up, needing to feel her close.
“Evan,” she whispered. “Eli only just went to bed.”
“He’ll be out like a light. Come on, we don’t have long.” Precisely forty-five minutes before Mom walked through the door. Fifty, if we were lucky.
“Maybe I should go. I don’t want to—”
I spun around, crowding her against the counter. “Don’t do that. I want you here. Just you and me, remember?”
Becca searched my eyes, but for what, I wasn’t sure. “And when your mom gets home? It’s her house, Evan. I have to respect that.”
My head lowered as I inhaled a calming breath. When I looked up and found Becca’s eyes gazing at me, my mouth tugged up in a smirk. “Thirty minutes.”
“What?”
“Give me thirty minutes.” Hands placed either side of her hips, I caged her in, sealing my lips over hers. Becca let out a soft moan, slipping her hands underneath my t-shirt, her touch burning my skin.
Pulling away, I grabbed her hand and yanked her in the direction of my bedroom. She hovered in the doorway as I made quick work of making my bed, still crumpled from the morning.
“Evan, I…” The words died on her lips as I tugged my t-shirt over my head and stalked toward her.
“Twenty-nine minutes,” I said, letting her know she was wasting precious time.
Her eyebrows knitted together, and she gulped, trying hard not to look at my chest. My hands skated down her waist, and I hooked my fingers into the waistband of her jeans, anchoring us together.
