“They saw everything?”
“Everything,” he confirms, and his eyes twinkle.
“It’s not fucking funny, man. They won’t let me live it down. They saw me needy as fuck.”
“Youwereneedy,” he adds, and I poke his side.
He jerks away and rubs where I touched him, but I don’t apologize. My life just got one hundred times harder, and he’s partially the reason behind it.
“You shouldn’t have cuddled with me in front of them,” I say.
“I wasn’t cuddling with you. You were cuddling with me.”
I groan and then place both my arms over my face, imagining the ribbing I’ll get from my cousins. It’s inevitable. They probably volunteered to come over and deliver the food to see it all. Maybe even get a repeat performance. What a shit show.
“Tell me what else I did while they were here?”
“Do you really want to know?”
Oh, Jesus.
I peer out from between my arms and manage to sayyeah, I do.
Whit hesitates and then says, “You said a few things.”
“Just tell me, Whit.”
“You said I smelled good and didn’t know why. You kept on sniffing me.” He clears his throat and then adds, “You also said my skin was soft and ran your hands up and down my face.”
“Shit.”
“You also rambled some and said you were gay from the fever. Not sure what that means, but your cousins latched onto that one word and now think we’re together.”
“Oh, damn it all to hell,” I say and then turn over, not facing him.
This is damn humiliating is what it is.
Fingers trail across my skin, just light enough. I wonder if I imagine it. But no, I’m not. He’s touching me, and I don’t say anything because I don’t want it to stop.
“It’s okay. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. You were really out of it.”
I don’t say anything, just stare at the blank white wall in front of me. Should probably paint it or hang up a picture.
“You don’t know my family. There’s a reason I needed a place to live this year.”
“I spent a lot of time with them the past three days. I know enough.”
I look at him, and he offers me a small smile.
“You didn’t sign up for this, for my family and me,” I tell him. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he says, and then he pushes some hair off my forehead, and my eyes flutter. “You still hungry?”
“I’m good,” I say and then face the wall again.
“You’re lucky you have a family who loves you.”
“Yeah, I know, man. They’re just a little much. It’ll die down soon enough.”