Holy shit.
I glance back and look at him, my eyes wide.
“For reals?”
He smirks softly and then goes back to reading his Kindle like it’s no big deal that he just lifted my heavy ass up.
“They’re cute, right?” Sem asks Luke, who just nods.
“This is not a matinee performance. There’s no popcorn here. You both need to leave.”
“So rude,” Luke comments. “How Whit puts up with you is a mystery.”
“A huge mystery,” Sem agrees, rubbing his chin, and then adds, “How do you put up with him, Whit?”
“He grows on you,” Whit says, and I elbow him lightly in annoyance.
Luke watches this and then tilts his head, “You haven’t been home since you moved out. You avoiding us?”
I know how offended they all are that I moved out my senior year of college, but I just needed my space. They’re all just too overwhelming. In the best way possible, but still.
I needed a minute to breathe.
“Jesus, I will see you all next weekend. We can catch up then.”
The two of them stare at each other, wordlessly conversing before nodding.
“Fine. Bring Whit. Aunt Del’s request.”
“It’s like I’m in the mafia,” I mutter. “The only way out is death.”
“So dramatic, this one,” Sem says, ruffling my hair while Luke lightly punches my shoulder.
“No need to get up for us. You two look comfy,” Luke adds before moving to the door, and then the two of them disappear behind it without a goodbye.
Thank the gods.
“Oh, Jesus fuck. How is this my life,” I say, turning around slightly and glancing at Whit, who is biting his bottom lip, his eyes twinkling with something.
Mirth perhaps.
“What?” I ask, annoyed with this whole thing. “It’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny,” he says and then moves his eyes back to his Kindle.
“Put that down and tell me something,” I say, grabbing it from his hand and setting it on the arm of the chair.
“What would you like to know?” he asks those long fingers of his tracing patterns on the cushion beneath us. His nails are short, almost bitten down to the quick. I’ve never seen him bite his nails before.
What a weird observation to have right now.
“How are you okay with this?”
He shrugs. “It’s harmless.”
I meet his eyes, and he looks away quickly.
“Harmless? I amnevergoing to live this down. My family is insane. No matter what I tell them, they will stubbornly believe we’re together.”