Page 21 of I Knew You Were Trouble

“You don’t say.”

“I have a tendency to overshare when I get all panicky.”

My shoulders move in silent laughter. That is something I’m very familiar with from her. Probably why I know as much as I do.

“Well, before that… Can I ask how you know this guy is worth the trouble?” And by trouble, I mean money.

“Zach?”

“Unless there’s another guy you’re trying to impress.”

She sticks her tongue out at me before slouching into the back cushions. “You’ll think I’m stupid.”

“I’d never think you’re stupid.”

“Silly then.”

“Okay, yeah… maybe that.”

She lets out a long breath through her nostrils. Her teeth pull at the inside of her bottom lip, making her chin jut out. There’s a freckle by the left corner of her mouth, which is pretty darn cute. Haven’t noticed that one before.

“So, I got this super deep gut feeling when I first saw him.”

“Oh geez,” I say, a smile curling my lips. “You believe in love at first sight, do ya?”

“No. Maybe. Kind of.” She adjusts on the couch, kicking her feet up and sitting crisscross to face me. Her knee presses into my thigh and an unexplained kernel-like sensation pops through my skin. “I’m going to explain, so try to keep up.”

“You have my full attention.”

“I’m serious, Pete.”

“So am I.”

“Then why are you smiling like that?” Her finger juts out and points at me accusingly, and my smile only deepens.

“You’re being cute, is all.” Her bossiness has always been cute, and she hates it when I tell her that.

“Shut up.” Her gaze drops to the blanket between us, and even though she rolled her eyes at me, there’s a tinge of pink in her cheeks as she continues. “Okay, so… I’m not saying I love him or anything. It wasn’t that kind of epiphany per se. It was more like, wow… I’mreadyto fall in love. Like, I want to be in love. I want the whole shebang, and if this guy makes me feel like that, then it must be a sign that I need to get to know him, get close to him, feel things I haven’t felt before.”

“Uh, huh…”

She narrows her eyes. “I know it’s a hard concept to grasp, but my gut has never let me down. You wouldn’t even be sitting here right now if I hadn’t followed it.”

“So this is your fault,” I say directly to her stomach. She puts a palm to my forehead and pushes me back.

“Pete…”

“Sorry, I’ll behave.” I zip my lips and tuck my hands under my chin, being a good boy.

“If you haven’t guessed just by knowing me for two years, my dates haven’t been exactly…” She waves a hand in my general direction, and I look over my shoulder for some kind of hint as to what the hell she means by that.

“Uh…”

She sighs. “My choice in guys has always been just like me, and not my complete opposite.”

“You think we’re complete opposites.”

She lets out an obvious pfft. Maybe if I wasn’t sitting in her mansion of a guest house, I’d have something to disagree with her about, but nope. “I suppose you’ve got a point.”

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