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I’m not sure if she’s still talking about Lola or not, but I don’t get much time to dwell on it because Derek puts his hand on the small of my back and pushes me forward.

“Let’s go. She’s looking at me with a hungry look in her eyes.”

I laugh when I see traces of panic on his face. “She’s not. She just likes you,” I defend her. “A lot.”

“Does she?”

I look at him over my shoulder and find him really close to me. I’m quiet for a few seconds, nibbling at my lip before slowly nodding. “Yeah, I think she does.”

The clearing of a throat breaks the spell that fell around us, and we move away from each other.

Mom looks between us with curiousness in her eyes and a big grin on her face. “I’ll see you both in a little while.”

That is our cue to leave. “Let’s go, Lola, Ace.” I wave for them to follow. “It’s playtime.”

* * *

I just slipped underneath my covers and the found perfect position to sleep in when my phone buzzes on the nightstand. Sighing, I turn and grab it.

Derek:I had fun tonight with your family. Hope you didn’t mind me crashing family dinner.

I read it over a few times, a smile growing on my face.

Amelia: It’s fine. Mom would have been really disappointed if you didn’t stay.

His replay is almost instant.

Derek:Just your Mom?

Amelia:Don’t forget about Lola!

I giggle, disturbing said miss in the process.

My body is shaking from silent laughter, waking her up. Lola lifts her head, looking at me with confused brown eyes. When she understands that nothing is happening, she gives me pointed stare, her ‘What do you think you are doing?’ look, before curling again next to me to sleep.

Derek:You are killing me here.

My smile falls and the letters on the screen become blurry.

I can’t say today wasn’t fun, although a bit weird too.

Like the part when Mom barged into my room without knocking and almost caught us kissing. And what’s with that anyway? It seemed like we always end up kissing. What are we? I’m not supposed to like him. He broke my heart once, and he let his friends treat me badly. He did it before so there is no guarantee he won’t do it again.

I don’t want to like him.

I really don’t.

But then he would do something sweet like spend the afternoon throwing a ball for Lola in the park or staying for dinner with my family where he praised Mom’s cooking and talked sports, not just hockey related, with my Dad. Or he would look at me with those bright baby blues that sucked me in and wouldn’t let me look away. His hands would find a way to touch my skin, and the contact of skin against skin would make me shiver. Or he would kiss me, making me forget about all the reasons he is bad. So, sobadfor me.

Derek:Amelia??

Derek:Are you ignoring me?

Derek:Heey!

Derek:Little one, this is so not fun

Derek:Did you fall asleep?

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