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“You’re the one who said it first.”
She aimed her spoon at me. “But you don’t have to agree.”
“But I do.” I snapped my mouth around her bite of breakfast then stuck out my tongue. “Nope, still gross.”
She threw a balled-up napkin at me.
“You never answered my question,” I pointed out, lifting my juice to take a gulp.
She dipped her spoon back into her yogurt mixture, swirling it around. “I liked playing house with you for a couple of days. What do you think?”
“I think,” I started, swallowing the last bite of my eggs. “I kind of like the idea of you being my annoying girlfriend.”
She scraped her bowl with the spoon, the noise like nails on a chalkboard.
“You don’t like that idea?” I asked, my voice sounding squeaky in my ears.
Setting her spoon down, she sat up, breathing deeply. “You aren’t the only one afraid of commitment.”
“I am not afraid of commitment. I’m afraid of losing…” I trailed off as my gaze drifted to the window, my words suddenly dust in my mouth as my terrible imagination got the best of me.
But there was Gemma, wrapping her fingers around my hand, her lips curling up into a promising smile. “I’m not letting you go.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
Gem
Monday afternoon, I was in the middle of explaining how to make a pumpkin with a three-dimensional face using of variety of materials, but as usual, I heard Cole talking behind me.
“I’m going over the directions, so I don’t know why I hear so much chitchat.” I pivoted, ready to redirect Cole when I spotted Jason sitting at the table, his long legs barely fitting under it. “Ah, we have two troublemakers today.”
“He started it.” Jason pointed to Cole, who shook his head in denial.
I tried and failed to hide my laugh, as I handed out the rest of the supplies to the class, including Jason. Once the kids started the project, I bent over his shoulder. “What are you doing here?”
“Art.” He sorted through scraps of newspaper, felt, and cardboard before finding a piece of green tissue paper he apparently liked. He tugged on my ponytail. “You smell good.”
“Thank you. You know you’re in a class of ten-year-olds, right?”
“Yep.”
“Okay then, have fun,” I said and proceeded with the art lesson, which Jason fully participated in, to all the kids’ amusement.
At the end of class, Cole gave his new friend a dap and ran out of the room. “Bye!”
Jason waved. “See ya, buddy.”
I crossed her arms.
“What?”
“You and Cole are best buddies now. Going for pizza and beer later?”
Jason stalked over to me, hands in his pockets. “Apple juice and peanut butter sandwiches.”
I yanked on his tie, lowering his face to mine, and nipped at his bottom lip. “You finished work for today?”
He nodded, giving me a little pat on the ass, as I started to clean up, wandering from table to table and back to the closet in the corner. “Want to give me a ride home?”
