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“Your roommates are coming out too.” I shrugged and kept my voice steady.
If I sounded nervous at the thought of Bryson and Jaxon being at the same place at the same time, I would ruin everything we achieved to get back to normal tonight. He blinked, and his face showed no sign of emotion. He was going to make me say his name.
“Bryson and Jared?” I added.
“That’s cool.” Jaxon nodded at Connor, and the tone reset in the room. “I’ll let you know if I’m coming here tomorrow or not.”
* * *
About an hour later,I woke up in the middle of an episode ofSex and the Cityand found the rest of the living room asleep. Katie and Connor were snuggled up in the recliner under a blanket, and Jaxon’s temple was resting on my kneecap.
I didn’t want to wake him up. He looked so cute and innocent when he slept. Once I woke him up, I knew he would say he had to go. I lightly shook my leg, and his head swayed. He blinked a few times and inhaled sharply when he realized he wasn’t home.
“Jax.” I smiled and ran my fingers through his short hair. He inhaled again and dragged a hand down his face.
“What time is it, Mace?” he murmured.
“Almost nine.”
He rose from the couch and walked into the kitchen for a bottle of water. I watched him drain half of it and survey the kitchen.
“What are you looking for?” I asked.
“Do you still have that ramen?”
I stood up and padded over to him. Doing my best to be quiet, I pulled two Cup O’Noodles out of the box under the sink and offered him one. I popped mine open and poured the freeze-dried vegetables into the garbage can. The way they looked all wrinkled and aged freaked me out.
“Maci!” Jaxon whispered urgently, and his eyes went wide.
I surveyed the area around me and tried not to scream. The last thing I wanted was an unwelcome rodent for Katie and me to be on the lookout for. “What? What is it?”
He peered into the trash can. “You just dumped the delicacies!” His focus returned to me, and I could tell he was appalled at how unbothered I was.
My shoulders relaxed, and I knew the area was safe from critters.“The delicacies?” I tried not to laugh, but a small chuckle escaped me.
He opened his cup and placed it under the Keurig. “It’s the best part of the noodles!”
With my mouth hanging open, I stared as he covered the cup and used a fork to weigh down the paper. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the counter. I laughed again when he shook his head, looking like a disappointed father.
“Those are not the best part. They look all wrinkled and gross! Plus they’ve probably been in these cups for like three years.”
“But they come alive when you make the broth.” He gestured toward his cup.
“Anything that comes alive in anything is something I want no part of,” I argued. I placed my cup under the Keurig and watched as it filled up with hot water.
While Katie and Connor continued to sleep, we stood in the kitchen and ate. He told me about his trip home and how nice it was to see his family. I told him about Chase and how I thought he was going to propose to Trey.
“How long have they been together?” he asked.
“Almost three years.” I twisted my fork and pulled out a ball of noodles. I popped it in my mouth and swallowed. “He’s great, and I know my brother adores him. Plus, he’s been bringing up really random topics with me. He asked me the day before he left how I thought sage and navy looked together.”
Jaxon smiled and leaned against the counter. “I found out my brother is finally dating this girl we grew up with.”
“Alex?”
He nodded. “Her name is Bella. She’s like a sister to me, but Alex and her have always had a thing for each other.”
“Is she the girl from California?” I grinned.
