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“Yeah, the sticks and the yarn and you tie it around in circles or something.”
“She’s crocheting?”
“Yeah. Plus, she doesn’t know how to make soup. Can you come over?”
“Does your mom have a cough, bud?”
“No. She said she has a migraine, but I bet soup would still help her.”
I sit up from bed and toss on my jeans, then the flannel I was wearing earlier. Maybe this is the sign I needed. Then again, maybe it’s nothing more than a woman with a headache and a kid who knows how to use a phone.
It’s hard to tell what kind of mysteries the universe has in store, but something is drawing me toward Lily. And right now, a little bit of something is all I need.
Chapter Five
Lily
When I open my eyes, it’s nearly two a.m.Two!How did I sleep for so long?
Austin! Oh my god.
I peel up from the bed and dart into the living room. I didn’t intend to fall asleep. I thought I’d lay down for a minute and send Grace home before it got too late. I know she has to work in the morning.
“You okay?” A deep voice startles me from behind. “We were getting worried about you.”
I jump in place and spin toward the voice that I want all over me. “Oh my god! Chap. What the hell are you doing here?” Suddenly I’m overly aware of my messy hair and the short t-shirt I’m wearing.
“Austin called. He wanted help with pumpkin soup for you.”
“Pumpkin soup?”
“I think he was trying to be nice, given the conversation we had earlier about all the pump—”
“No, I get it, but where’s Grace? She was supposed to—”
“She said she had to work in the morning, so I offered to stay. I hope that’s okay. Austin was insisting, and you didn’t feel good, so I thought it was—”
“No. It’s not okay. We barely know each other, and I don’t need Austin getting all attached to you. What good does that do anyone?”
He steps forward and lands his hand on my shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“What’s going on?What’s going on is, I had a headache, and I thought my best friend was coming over. Instead, I wake up to a strange man who’s playing father with my kid. I like you, Chap. Ireallylike you, but what are we doing? This isn’t normal. I can’t handle watching Austin’s heart break when you walk away.”
“What about your heart? Will your heart break if I walk away?”
“What?” I shake my head. “What are you asking me? Do you want my heart to break?”
“No.” He pauses then catches my gaze. “I want to push you up against that wall and kiss you like you’ve never been kissed. I want to lay you back on that couch until your body and mine are one. I want to know what it feels like to touch you and hear you moan out in my ear.” His voice shakes when he speaks, and I swear I hear his heartbeat through his chest.
I swallow hard. “So, what happens if you do that? What happens if you touch me, Chap? What happens if you let yourself go?”
His breath picks up and his jaw tightens. He’s struggling with himself, and I don’t know how to help him.
“Look,” I finally say, “you should go.”
His gaze lifts. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.” It’s a lie, and it sounds like a lie.
