Page 17 of Wish You Would

“They take up too much space.”

I roll my eyes as I drape the thrift store blanket over my legs. Holden is a lot. My body tingles just from being thisclose to him, and don’t get me started on how it feels to have his eyes on my body. But we’re both emotionally unavailable. After everything that happened with Justin, the last thing I need is to get myself entangled with a guy I barely know—a guy I need to live with for the foreseeable future. That would be averybad idea. Right now, I just need to take some time to work on myself.

“So, why does talking about your parents make you want to drink?”

Holden groans softly, and I can’t help but smile. He takes a long pull of his beer.

“My mother was married to my father, but now my mother is married to a woman.” He clears his throat. “Try to follow along.”

He settles further into the couch and looks up at the ceiling for several seconds. “My mother and my father are still best friends. The three of them are just… weird.”

That’s not what I expected. “Wow, sounds like a very modern family.”

Holden nods. “I’m fairly certain that my mom is in love with them both. She invites my dad to every holiday and family party. Her wife goes along with it. Sometimes it feels like they’re a throuple.”

“And how are you with it all?”

He takes a sip of his beer, his eyes softening. “My brother and I could care less that my mom’s with a woman, but it can get a little weird when she acts like she’s married to them both.”

Okay, I’m kind of liking that his mom and dad are so progressive. And Holden’s easy acceptance of his mom’s marriage to a woman makes him that much hotter.

I take a long sip of my beer, grimacing as it goes down.

“What’s that face for?” he asks.

“I hate beer.”

“Then what’s your poison?”

“Tequila.”

“Trouble. Isn’t that what makes people’s clothes come off?”

“Feed me tequila and find out.”

Heart racing, my eyes stay glued to his. I didn’t mean for that to come out so flirty, but I don’t regret it. I’m not taking it back.

“I’m tipsy,” I declare.

“Noted… it doesn’t take much,” Holden deadpans.

“So… we should probably get some sleep.”

“Yeah, umm… we should,” he says, nodding. He stretches his neck, tilting his head down toward one shoulder and then to the other.

“Does your neck hurt? I feel bad. That’s all my fault.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just a stiff neck. I’ll live.”

I must be tipsier than I realized, because what I say next surprises even me: “You can sleep with me. Your bed is huge, I’ll never even know you’re there.”

He looks at me like I’m crazy. “Pretty sure you ripped my head off last night when you thought I was trying to sleep with you.”

“I didn’t rip your head off. Look, sleep on the couch if you want. It’s your neck. But I’m offering to share the bed with you.”

Hesitating, I can see him thinking it over. “You won’t try anything with me if I do?”

“Holden!” I pick up one of the thrifted cushions from the floor and toss it at him.

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