Page 56 of Facing the Line

A nervous bubble of laughter pops out of my mouth. “You get caught in the rain, too? We were coming back from the gym when the heavens opened.”

“Yeah, cats and dogs out there.” Shaking his head, he scatters droplets and pushes past us, stepping inside. “I’m gonna go dry off.”

“Good idea.” Jonas clears his throat, his eyes locked on me. His gaze rakes me from head to toe, and he flushes. If his wet clothes don’t leave much to my imagination, mine must be equally revealing. “You should go take that hot shower, Hadley.”

I need a shower, all right. But a cold one. Because I’m on fire from that kiss.

Chapter

Twenty-Four

JONAS

Mom: Of course you can stay here for the 4th of July!

Jonas: You have room for Evan and Hadley, too?

Mom: You know I love having a full house!

Mom: Emma is so excited!

Jonas: I’m excited to see her, too.

“The internet made you look easy.” Hadley speaks to a saucepan on the stove top as I come into our apartment. Every available flat surface is littered with mangled vegetables and knives. An open bag of rice spills onto the floor.

“Um, Hads?” I drop my keys and backpack by the door. Probably shouldn’t make any sudden moves in this danger zone. “Do you think it’s going to talk back?”

She blows a breath, stirring her hair. It clings in sweaty wisps around her face. I have a flashback to her the other day, rain-drenched and flushed, and I swallow, trying to banish that image from my brain. It can’t happen again.

She mops the strand of hair away with her hand and brightens. “That would actually be awesome if it spoke. Like inBeauty and the Beast. And maybe the dishes could explain how to follow this recipe.”

Leaning against the counter, she holds up her phone and jabs the pause button on a YouTube video. I take a step forward to see what she’s watching, and she hands it over. Someone chops carrots on the screen so fast they blur, and tosses them in a skillet before an impressive flame shoots two feet high on the stovetop.

I shake my head and pause it. “This is pretty difficult. What are you trying to make?”

Her cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink. “That stir fry you mentioned the other day when we were watchingLove Island.”

The characters on the show were having a delicious meal, and I mentioned that it’s one of my favorite things my mom makes. She remembered.

“You tried to cook for me?” My voice comes out a croak, and my heart soars in my chest.

“Yeah, but I don’t really know what I’m doing. The video said it would be easy.” She swallows and motions around the kitchen. “But the internet lies.”

“Hey.” I grab her hand, my thumb rubbing across her knuckles. “You’re Hadley Thompson. You kick ass and take names. There’s nothing you can’t conquer. If you want, we can do it together?”

She stares at the floor. “This is kind of the first meal I’ve ever attempted.”

And she did it for me? Wow.

“We could have cooking lessons. I don’t know a ton, but I’d be happy to teach you some basics.”

“Jonas, you’d do that for me?” Her eyes shine with happiness, and I’m as powerful as Superman. I want to make her look like that all the time.

“Of course I would.” My voice is gruff, and I can’t stare at her or else I’ll kiss her again. And then we’ll get distracted and probably set the apartment on fire. I survey the kitchen and the massacre of vegetables that happened here. I clear my throat. “But I think we should probably clean up and start over. Are you game?”

“I am if you are.”

Nothing was salvageable except a handful of rice that hadn’t been on the floor. After dumping it all, we take Hadley’s Range Rover to Fresh Thyme. I usually shop at Walmart or Aldi—this is the swankiest grocery store in the area. And it’s only “Lafayette fancy.” Nothing like what would be available in bigger cities.

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