Page 15 of Twisted Mates

He looks down at me and raises an eyebrow. “Are you kidding? I didn’t sit through10 Things I Hate About Youfifty-seven times to not remember that it’s your comfort movie.”

My chest warms and I have to blink tears away. “Excuse me, I only made you watch it fifty-four times. You must have done a few viewings on your own,” I joke, trying to cover up how emotional this has made me.

“What can I say, it’s good.”

Carrington chuckles at her brother’s admission as she holds up the remote and starts the movie on the massive screen on the wall.

It’s funny how the twins and I move around each other. I end up leaning into Kai, and Carrington fans a blanket over her and my legs. I always thought the three of us were kind of like a pack of cubs, invading each other’s space in a quest for comfort. I imagine this is what we would have looked like if we could have shifted as children.

The movie continues on, every scene holding my attention. That is until Kai’s fingers brush against mine. I hesitate for a moment, chalking it up to an accident. The innocent touch consumes my thoughts until I’m emboldened to slide my fingers through his. The air between us thickens and I swear we stop breathing. Only when his thumb brushes over my knuckles does my body resume its normal function.

“I’m going to head to bed,” Xander says a few minutes later, standing and stretching his arms over his head.

“What?” Carrington whines. “You don’t want to see the part where she rams her car into his Camaro?”

I look up just in time to see Xander crack one of those rare smiles. “You forget I’m twelve years older than you, baby sister. I saw this movie in theaters.”

“Seriously? You might be old, but this movie came out in...” Carrington looks at me pointedly.

“1999,” I say without hesitation.

“Yeah, 1999. There’s no way Mom let you see this when you were...” She pauses again, seeming to be having trouble with doing the math in her head.

Luckily science and math are my thing.

“You saw this in theaters at eleven years old?” I say helpfully, and Carrington echoes my question.

Xander smirks. “Fine, I rented it at the video store.”

“What’s a video store?” Kai deadpans without looking away from the TV.

Carrington and I dissolve into giggles as Kai’s lips twitch and Xander clenches his jaw as he tries desperately not to laugh.

“Okay, I amdefinitelygoing to bed now. Goodnight, y’all,” he says, glancing down at where my hand is intertwined with Kai’s before meeting my gaze.

“Goodnight, Xander,” I say as he turns and leaves the room.

Thirty minutes or so later, Carrington clears her throat and glances down at where Kai and I are still holding hands, his thumb brushing back and forth over my knuckles every few seconds. She gives me a wink and I know she’s about to tease me, but I widen my eyes and mouth,Please, Care. No.

Rolling her eyes, she yawns instead and covers her mouth. “I think I’m gonna go to bed too. I'm sleepy.”

Kai glances at the clock. “It’s like 10:30. You’re never tired this early.”

She shrugs. “I am tonight.” Practically catapulting off the couch, she blows me a kiss and disappears through the door.

“She’s a weirdo,” he mutters as we both settle back onto the cushions.

“She’s your twin.”

“Well, I didn’t get to choose that fate,” he jokes. “Youchoseto be her best friend. What does that say about you?”

I laugh and rest my head on his shoulder. “You know what, that’s fair.”

The movie keeps playing, but I know every word already. There’s something I want to say to Kai, I just don’t want to freak him out. But I have to. I can’t stop thinking about it.

“Kai?”

“Yeah?”

---