Page 73 of A Little Crush
“Well, let’s pretend it is,” she argues. “Let’s say that the reason he ran isn’t because he’s not interested?—”
“Then why would he run?” I snap before pressing my lips into a thin line, hating my overreaction. “Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. You’re good, and you know I love you,” she assures me. “But maybe he ran because he knows a commitment between you and him in this family isn’t something you can brush aside or take slow. If it doesn’t work out, it could get…messy. I mean, he works for your dad. And yeah, it worked out for Griff and Fin, and Mav and Lia, but when you add in Poppy and Iris and everything else, jumping into a relationship isn’t something you should take lightly. And from the sound of things, it isn’t something Jaxon’s taking lightly, either.”
I didn’t think about it that way. The way Iris and Poppy and our families play into everything. And it’s frustrating.Because I’m not sure I should need to consider everyone else. Isn’t a relationship supposed to be between two people?
A huff of frustration makes my nostrils flare as I mumble, “So, it’s a bad idea.”
“I didn’t say that,” she argues. “I’m just saying be patient with Jax. He’s always been an overthinker, and to be fair, you have, too. He’s probably taking some time to really consider every angle of the situation instead of jumping into bed with his boss’s daughter at his boss’s house.”
I snort and toss my forearm over my eyes because, well, when she puts it that way, she might be onto something. “Okay, that’s kind of a good point.”
“Definitely,” she argues. “Actually, as I was talking, I was even convincing myself that it has to be the reason why he left instead of screwing your brains out?—”
“Tatum!”
“Rory,” she volleys back, using my same tone. “Damn your best friend’s a genius.”
“And humble.”
“Don’t you forget it,” she quips. “Now, do you need me to fly out so we can have a girl’s night or…?”
“I’m good,” I tell her, though I’m too tired to analyze whether or not it’s true. I’m a big girl, and it doesn’t matter how much I miss my best friend, I’m not about to make her jump on a plane all because I could use a hug. Besides, I have a mom for that. “Thank you for talking me off a ledge, though,” I add. “I needed it.”
“Anytime, Squeaks. You know I love you.”
“Love you, too. And tell Paxton hi for me, okay?”
“Only if you promise to keep me updated,” she counters.
“I promise.”
After ending the call, I finish unpacking, throw in a load of laundry, find a snack in the kitchen, then head to the theater room. It doesn’t take long until theGilmore Girlstheme song echoes through the sound system, and I settle into the couch cushions, preparing for a marathon in my favorite small town, Stars Hollow. Apparently, my mom’s friends made her watch it for years, and, grudgingly, she slowly fell in love with the characters, too, before continuing the tradition with me. And even though it’s dated in more ways than one, it’s also my comfort show. Maybe it’s because I share the same name as the mother-daughter duo. Maybe it’s because I’m also awkward and nerdy and don’t always know how to be in my own skin. If only there was an adorable German Shepherd in the mix, it would officially be the perfect show. Even then, it comes pretty close in my book.
I’m not sure how much time passes when my mom calls, “Hey, babe! Oo, what episode?”
Peeking over the edge of the couch, I answer, “the one where Rory’s introduced to the Life and Death Brigade.”
“Aww, that’s a good one. ‘You jump, I jump, Jack,’” she adds, quoting one of my favorite scenes in the episode with Logan and Rory. She plops down on the cushion next to me and steals some popcorn from the bowl in my lap.
“Hey!” I start to pull the bowl from her, but she only tosses the stolen piece to Hades who’s curled up on my opposite side.
As he catches it, she dives in for another handful, munching on a few buttery kernels. “You know he’s not supposed to be on the couch.”
Stroking Hades’ soft fur, I argue, “I needed snuggles.”
She nods her understanding and caves instantly. “Long flight?”
“Guess you could say that.”
“I bet it was extra fun after they lost the first game of the season,” she adds. “How’s the team?”
“Gloomy except Reeves.”
She chuckles. “Do you think anything could make that man have a bad day?”
“I doubt it,” I offer dryly. Pretty sure the only thing that could dampen Oliver Reeves’ mood is if his wife stubbed her toe and he wasn’t there to kiss it better.
