Page 24 of Coping Skills

She sat up, needing space now. He stared at her, his face impassive. “Look, I’m pretty sure that I’ve said before that I don’t have time for a boyfriend right now.” She motioned between them with a finger. “We’re not dating.”

One of his eyebrows arched up. “Answer me something, Elena—how often do you come over here?”

Shrugging, she pulled the sheet tighter around her chest. “I don’t know. Maybe two or three times a week.”

“Maybe when I have away games. You’re here almost every night when I’m home. Do you spend time like that with anyone else?”

“Well, no. If I’m here that often, it would be impossible for me to spend that much time with anyone else.”

He nodded. “Yeah. Exactly. So it’s safe to assume that you’re not having sex with other people.”

She glared at him. “Of course not. You know that.”

Another nod. “Me either. So we’re exclusive, we see each other all the time, and now you’re coming to my game and going to a party with me. How are we not in a relationship again?”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she opened her mouth to tell him that none of that meant anything. But before she could, he sat up and pulled her hands away from where she had them clutching the sheet against her chest.

“Here’s the thing. I don’t really do casual. You can call this whatever makes you feel good, but when chicks hit on me at parties, I tell them I have a girlfriend. And I’m not lying—at least I don’t think I am—because I have you. You don’t have to tell people we’re dating if you don’t want to. I don’t really care. I know you’ve got a lot going on, and my goal isn’t to stress you out. But I like you. I like when you come over, I like having you in my bed, and I’d really like it if you’d start going places with me outside of my apartment. You can still say no if you’re busy. But Coop would appreciate it if he didn’t get kicked out all the time.”

She couldn’t come up with a response, just gaped at him with her mouth hanging open, all the wind blown out of her sails. He’d just turned everything around on her, and she hadn’t expected that at all. He thought they were together? Liketogethertogether?

Snapping her mouth shut, she reviewed everything he just said. In a debate, he’d have enough points to win. Shit.

Completely deflated, she laid back down, one hand covering her face. “Oh my God, you’re right.”

His fingers nudged her hand away so she would look at him. “Don’t sound so excited about it.”

She gave him a wan smile. “I’m sorry. This wasn’t how I imagined this conversation going.”

He laid down next to her, turning her so she would face him, his fingers stroking over her cheek and down her neck. “It’s not a big deal. I’m not suggesting anything crazy. Like sometimes we go have dinner out somewhere instead of always being here. Or we could go to your place sometimes. It’s not like I don’t already know your roommates.”

She snorted. “Yeah. And they’ve already decided I’m dating you anyway, so your appearance wouldn’t come as a surprise.”

Grinning, he let his hand roam down her back. “See? You’re the only one who hasn’t acknowledged it yet. Nothing’s different. We’re still just us, having a good time. Okay?”

A long pause stretched out while she debated her best options. If she said no, then this would probably be over. And he made very valid points. With a deep breath, she finally said, “Okay.”

His smile grew wider, and he kissed her. Her boyfriend. Holy shit.

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