“Ain’t no troll my ass,” Rose murmurs before turning away and heading back into the kitchen.
Her husband leaps off the couch, following her and arguing the whole way about how “handsome and sexy” he still is.
Zach’s grinning from ear to ear, proud of his papa. “And you said I was bad.”
“You’re way worse than that, trust me. Now, how about leading me through those double doors and out to that patio I’m spying. I want to swing on that loveseat thingy.”
We make our way outside to do just that, snuggling up next to one another and enjoying the moment.
“It’s so peaceful out here, so different than where we live.”
“Would you ever want to live in the middle of nowhere?” Zach asks.
“Hmm…probably not. I’d miss delivery too much.”
He chuckles. “Figures.”
I pinch his nipple and he yelps. “You think you’re so smart, huh?”
“I know you, is all.”
“Oh, do you now?” I sit up, eyeing him. “What’s my favorite color?”
“Teal.”
“Did my room give that away?” He nods. “What’s my favorite food?”
“All of it.”
“HA! You’re wrong! It’s brownies.”
“Is it really?”
“Yes. Well…most days.”
“Cheater.”
I shrug. “You know superficial things about me. Name something else.”
“You’re a really good kisser.”
“This is true.”
“You like to be the one to get the last word in.”
“Hm. Okay, okay, keep going.”
“You blush…often. You do this thing when you’re trying to fall asleep where you twitch—scared the shit out of me the first time you did it, by the way. You raise your left eyebrow when you’re concentrating really hard on something, and though you don’t talk about it often, you’re scared of the future, worried you picked the wrong major.”
I blink a few times, sitting there staring at him like I don’t know who he is.
But he knows who I am. He knows me, and my heart is soaring right now. I can feel it; it’s awakening, telling me I could love him, that he could be the one.
Zach leans in. “See, Delia, I know you.”
I nod, my throat full of emotion. I’m scared that if I try to speak right away, the tears I’m barely holding back will flow.
And that shit will only freak him out.