But who am I kidding? They already are serious.
* * *
“Oh my god, our first double date,” Emery says, bouncing in his seat. The leather of the seat squeaks under that ass of his. When I’d told him about Mag’s offer, he’d lit up like a fucking Christmas tree. He’d blurtedyesand then pounced on me. My ass is still sore from the fucking I took.
“Like are we official? Is that how this works?”
I eye him as he rolls the windows up and down, pressing the button an infuriating number of times. Should probably put the child safety locks on.
“Because we could be official, if you want. I’ve never had a boyfriend before,” he adds. “You’ll be my first.”
I roll my lips between my teeth, not sure what to say. What if what Ifeelisn’t what’sright? But then again, how could anything with Emery ever be wrong? Everything with him just feels like it was meant to be.
Even in the middle of the night, when he wakes up frantic and crying from the nightmares. I’m there, next to him, pulling him right into my arms. And he quiets almost immediately, tucking himself against me and pressing his soft lips to mine.
In those moments, I wonder if I wasn’t made just for him.
“Oh, just forget I said anything,” he says and then fiddles with the strings of his hoodie. Well, it’s actually my hoodie. He stole it right out of my closet and is wearing it. He didn’t even ask.
I wouldn’t dare say anything though, because, fuck, I like him in my clothes.
“But I mean if you were to pick a boyfriend, you’d go for…me, right? Like, I’m your type? I mean, it seems like I am, because you always come so hard,” he says, looking contemplative.
I pull into a parking spot near the diner and shift the car into park. Then I turn toward him, and he winces.
“If it’s bad news, I don’t want it. I’d rather live in complete ignorance. The saying is correct, it’s bliss. Anyone who says any differently is selling you something.”
I don’t say anything. I just grab onto his face and pull him in for a filthy kiss.
“You’re totally my type.”
“Oh, thank god,” he whispers between kisses. “I was worried your tastes have evolved.”
“Why would you be worried?”
“Well, because you’re stupidly hot, and all put together, and you always do the right things. And I’m, well…I’m a maladjusted foster kid who can be subjectively hot at times. And who makes mostly poor choices.” He eyes me and rushes out, “I did not make the wrong choice with you though. You were the absoluterightchoice. Probably the best one I’ve ever made.”
My heart sinks at his vulnerability and then I just make a split decision. Like I do every time with him. I jump right into the fucking fire without thinking it through. I just hope I don’t get burned.
“Em,” I interrupt. “We can be official.”
He lurches back so fast his head hits the window. He rubs at his smarting scalp and blinks at me.
“You’re joking.”
“No, I’m not.”
“It’s not a prank?”
“Em, I wouldn’t do that.”
“But your mom….”
“I’ll tell her. I will.”
He eyes me and then he crawls onto me, over the center console and into my lap. It brings back memories of us at the cabin, making out in the parking lot near the General Store. It feels like so long ago, when in reality it was just a little over a month ago.
God, this is moving so fast. It’s making me almost dizzy, but I don’t want it to end either.