Easton would’ve let me do whatever I wanted. That much was clear. Losing control with him was never my intention, but he didn’t seem disappointed when I stopped. I’m confused as hell, and the last thing I want to do is give him mixed signals. I don’t even know what it is that I should do, even if I know that it’s him I want.
Easton begins to yawn, and so do I. Mentally, I feel like I’m a wreck and am actually looking forward to staring at the ceiling for the next hour to try to unpack what happened tonight.
Once the movie is over and everything gets turned off, Easton walks me upstairs and stops outside of my bedroom door.
“Good night, beautiful.” He leans forward and places a soft, lingering kiss on my forehead. “Sweet dreams.”
Butterflies swarm my stomach so fast, I nearly pass out at the sensation.
“I’ll never stop telling you that.” He winks, and all I want to do is press my lips against his and have him carry me to his bed.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “Night.”
I somehow break away and go into my room. I lean against the door, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. It’s times like this that I don’t know what to do and wish someone could give me the right answer. I got so caught up in letting Justin control my every move, that when it comes to decision-making, I tend to flounder.
And then I think, what if I screw things up with Easton and the only man who’s ever had my back? Losing him as a friend and boss would be devastating.
Sucking in a deep breath, I grab my phone and call my sister. She’s the only person I can talk to about situations like this.
“Hey, sis,” she picks up with a laugh. I put her on speakerphone, and it sounds like she’s at a bar or restaurant.
“Am I interrupting something?” I ask. “I can call back if so.”
“Nah, just picking up some food before I head back to my apartment. Didn’t realize I’d get to chat with you twice today. It always makes me happy to hear your voice.”
“I guess I just miss you,” I say sincerely. “But didn’t want to bother you either if you were busy.”
“I’m not. What’s up?” she asks. “There’s an edge in your voice that makes me think something’s on your mind. Spill the beans, sis.”
I release a breath and sit on the edge of my bed. “I feel like a naïve teenager who’s falling for someone she shouldn’t be falling for.”
“I freaking knew it!” she exclaims. “Glad you’re ready to finally admit what I’ve been saying for months.”
I huff. “I just don’t know how to process what I’m feeling. I’m confused and can’t stop thinking about him. All this stuff with Justin and my low self-esteem…I just feel like he can do better than me and that I’d hold him back in life. I’d be the dead weight. We’d be like Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly. Everyone would wonder why the hell he was with me.”
“Oh my God…” I hear a door open, then close. “First off, I’m partly proud you know pop culture references. However, you’re wrong.”
“Well, we wouldn’t be no Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.”
“To be fair, no one can live up to them. They’re the royal family of America.”
I snort, although I’m having an internal crisis. Oakley has a way of making me laugh even during the times I want to cry.
“Tell me this. Is he flirting with you back? Or is it one-sided? Be honest!”
“Well…” I linger, thinking about all the times he’s hinted about relationships, has told me how beautiful I am, or how he winks at me. I mean, if that’s not flirting, then the guy has boundary issues..
“It’s mutual. I didn’t want to see the signs at first, but they’ve become more apparent the longer we’ve been here. And even before then, he had little flirty comments that I never took to heart, but perhaps I should’ve. Truthfully, I’m not sure how long I’ve ignored the signs, but they’re impossible to ignore now.”
“Then you shouldn’t be hung up. Easton sounds like a really smart guy and would know what he’d be getting into if he got into a relationship with you.”
“We’ve kissed,” I whisper.
“What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”
“Yes, you did,” I snap, playfully rolling my eyes. “More than once. And tonight, I was ready to strip him naked but stopped midway. I got in my head too much. I know he’s my boss. And he’s nine years younger than me. He’s closer to your age than mine.”
“Age doesn’t matter once you’re out of high school, Tate. No one cares about that, except maybe you. If Easton’s pursuing you, why don’t you just give him a chance and see where it goes?”