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“Okay.”Shearches a brow at us both. “Nofunny business.”
“No, ma’am,”Tysays.
Thecrossed fingers behind his back promise otherwise.
Iwait for him in the living room after showering the day’s sun and sweat away, mindlessly watching adult cartoons playing on the big screen at a low volume.Holdingmy phone up to my face, there’s a missed phone call fromZak.
Yourang?
Yeah.Wantedto check in on you.Andapologize.
I’mok.AndIknow you didn’t mean to.
Whattook you so long to answer?
Beenbusy.
Withsomeone whose bitch ass faceI’dlike to punch?
I’mnot having this argument again.Goodnight.
Myphone buzzes with his response, butIsilence it beforeTyemerges from the hallway.Heturns the light off before joining me on the couch.
Heplaces my feet in his lap and begins absentmindedly massaging my feet while watching theTV.Hischeek lifts up as he chuckles at a bad dad joke.
Ismile, too, at the simple normalcy of it all.
“Howlong are you here for?”
“Aweek.Why, you ready to kick me out already?”
Isnort. “No, of course not.”
Hishand tries to sneak up my thigh, butIgrab it before he goes up any further.Hetakes it as an invitation to push his fingers between mine. “Good, ’causeIain’t ready to leave just yet.Notwithout you.”
Sighingsoftly,Isay, “I’msorry, butI’mnot going back.”
“Ifit’s because of the band, you can do that from anywhere.”Thetip of his thumb traces over my knuckle. “Ifyou really wanna come back toAtlanta, it’s an option.”
Iexhale a long and heavy breath and refocus on theTV.
“Y’know, it’s pretty easy to say ‘no thanks’ if you’re not interested.”
“It’snot thatI’mnot interested,”Istate in measured words.
I’mfocused on theTV, butIcan seeTy’ssevere glare in my periphery. “Butthere’sTweedledeeandTweedledum, right?Ican resolve that pretty quick.”
“Couldwe maybe not talk about ’em?”Iinterrupt. “You’rehere, andIdon’t wanna waste that time arguing.”
“You’reright,” he concedes as he pushes himself up.Hecrawls over me and presses his lips to mine. “I’drather not do much talkin’ at all.”
Ipush against his chest. “It’sbeen a long day;Ikinda just wanna chill out in bed.Okay?”
Hisexpression softens, and he lifts himself up and offers me a hand. “C’mon.”
Itake it and lead the way down the hall, but whenIstop at my door and try to let go, his hand tightens around mine.
“What, you don’t wanna cuddle?”
