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If he wants to label it, I'll let him. At this point, I don't think there's much I wouldn't give him if he asked. I'm already in so far over my head it's ridiculous. And this was my idea.
Oh, boy.
"Fine," I say, giving in to the inevitable. "But Jonas doesn't find out until after you guys win the Cup. I won't be the reason you guys lose it. That's my condition. Take it or leave it."
"I'll take it, little one."
"You cooked me dinner?" I stare in awe at the table set up on the rooftop. Fairy lights twinkle all around us like glittering stars. With the city laid out below and the pool only a few feet away, it feels like we're in an entirely different world. It's nothing like the one I grew up in, that's for sure.
"Surprised?" Kellan chuckles, placing his hand on my lower back as he leads me toward the table. I shiver at the weight of his hand there. At the way his soft laughter whispers against my skin.
I'm already on sensory overload, thanks to our conversation inside. Him touching me now isn't helping. I want to jump him. Who am I kidding? I've wanted that since the minute he stopped kissing me last night.
Kellan Alexander is a storm, far more intense and dangerous than expected. He's unwittingly stripping away my defenses, leaving me vulnerable in a way that's foreign to me. I've always been good at protecting my heart. I kind of had to be. But he's already slipping beneath my defenses and knocking holes in my walls.
"Sit, little one," he murmurs, holding my chair out for me.
I drop into it gracelessly, making him chuckle again. His hand brushes my shoulder, sending electricity dancing down my spine. If he notices, he doesn't say anything. He simply hums and circles around the small wrought-iron table to the opposite side.
Before he sits, he pulls the silver domed lids off our plates.
"Is that…?"
"Split pea soup?" He grins at me. "I thought you might like a taste of home."
My heart melts as a lump forms in my throat. "Thank you," I whisper around it. As much as I love Nashville, I miss home fiercely. This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. "It looks amazing."
"Thank your brother. I got the recipe from him." Kellan shrugs. "He makes it every so often."
"It's always been one of his favorites." I laugh quietly. "Actually, I think food in general is his favorite. He eats like a freaking vacuum."
"No kidding." Kellan arches a brow as he cuts a piece of fresh bread and holds it out for me. "He always been that way?"
"Probably worse. He used to work with my dad on the ranch and play hockey. It was a lot of grueling hours, so he was always hungry."
"What about you?"
"Was I always hungry?" I ask, scooping up a bite of soup. "Nope."
"I mean, what did you do, smartass? Did you enjoy life on the ranch?"
"It wasn't so bad."
"Then why move all the way out here?"
I shrug, avoiding giving him an answer.
He notices and lowers his spoon. "Ranch life wasn't for you?"
"It wasn't that," I say. "It wasn't the ranch that was the problem. It was the fact that everyone knows everyone." I take a spoonful of soup, savoring the rich flavors. It takes exactly like my mom's. "I felt like I was suffocating."
"Too many eyes on you," he murmurs, trying to understand.
"Too many eyes that idolize Jonas."
Kellan's brows furrow.
"He's the hometown hero," I explain. "All the women wanted to date him, and the men wanted to be him. I couldn't go anywhere without someone reminding me that I'm his little sister. They either wanted to get close to me to get close to him, or they wouldn't come near me because of him."
"Goldfish guy," he says, putting the pieces together.
"Goldfish guy. Grocery store guy. High school football guy. Basically, every guy that's ever crossed my path." I scrunch up my nose. "The funny thing is, I didn't even want to date any of them. But it would have been nice to have that option, you know? It wasn't even about them, really. It was about me and what I wanted." I grimace. "That probably makes me sound terrible, doesn't it?"
"No. You're allowed to want your own life without constantly being compared to your sibling or without his reputation creating a wall around you. Small towns can be difficult, especially when someone makes it big, but the rest of the family stays behind."
"Yeah." I sigh, relieved he gets it. "I'm really proud of him, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life being just Jonas's little sister. I want to be Parker, and I want that to be enough for once."
"So you moved in with your brother to avoid living in his shadow," Kellan smirks at me. "You sure that's the best idea?"
