I would be more.
Knock, knock.
The door opened. Kash looked inside. “Can I—” He stopped.
One look and I was back there, in his villa. Torie and Tamara in the background. My mom there, too. He came to get me before Peter’s welcoming party. He had the same look in his eyes, but there was more now.
I stepped back as Kash came in. He came right to me.
We didn’t talk.
I don’t think we needed to.
He reached for me at the same time I was stepping into him. His hand came up around my neck, the other around my back, and he pulled me to him. I burrowed into his chest. He cradled my head and I felt his cheek resting on top of my head. He smoothed his other hand down my arm, and he lifted. His lips grazed my forehead, and he whispered, “You are so beautiful.”
I couldn’t talk. My throat was clogged up, but I hugged him back hard.
The hardest I could.
“God.” Another whisper from him. “I love you. If anything, I hope you know just how much.”
I did.
I do.
“I know,” he said. “Are you ready? Do you want to stay?”
“I’m good. And I want to go. A night out will be fun. I think we’ve earned that.”
His eyes darkened. “Definitely.” His head cocked to the side. “You haven’t seen your friends for a while. Are you sure you want myself and the guys there? We can do something else, or stay in the background? You can get your time with the girls.”
“I’m good. Things have been different since my mom…” I still have a hard time saying it aloud. “You know, being with family has been more important to me. Besides, the friend group has sorta dispersed.”
“If you want me to make myself scarce, give me a sign. I can always work.”
“Sign? What kind of sign?”
He shook his head. “You decide.” His mouth twitched up. “Any word you want to use.”
“Raccoon.”
His head moved back. “Raccoon?”
“Yes.Raccoon.” I gave him a look. “Do you not know how obsessed I am about those animals? Have you looked at my Instagram? Do you know how many raccoon Instagram accounts there are? They are little, furry, adorable, curious creatures who are quiet but hilarious and I cannot take how freaking adorable they are. One rolls down the hallways. Rolls. Down. The. Hallway. And don’t get me started on the YouTube videos of them, where they pick up snow to take and eat, and it melts by the time they put it down and they look for it. Freaking. Hilarious.”
“I had no idea.”
I shrugged. “I don’t just hack, you know.”
“Huh.” He grunted. “Raccoons.”
“I’m also a big fan of octopuses. Do you know that if you save them, they will come and hug your leg as a thank you?”
I was just getting started.
Kash needed to know about all things wondrous and adorable.
I had a photographic memory, so I had a lot to tell him.