Page 54 of Acting Merry
His gaze fixes on me, and his lips spread into a smile that makes my insides feel like noodles covered in a delicious sauce of relief.
“Morning, Reese’s Pieces,” he says, his voice gravelly from sleep.
I really dislike the candy, but man…that nickname on his lips just might change my mind.
“Morning.”
He looks down at our arms around each other, and a brow cocks. “My protective candy shell was no match for you. Is my virtue still intact?”
“What virtue?”
He smiles again, then pulls me toward him until my head is tucked into the hollow beneath his neck.
The feeling is bliss, like every part of me has a place with Cole.
There’s a muffled clanging sound from downstairs. The kitchen, from the sound of it.
“I should go help,” I say, but leaving this place sounds like torture.
“I should shower,” Cole responds. “And brush my teeth.”
“Agreed.”
My quip leads to a brutal round of tickle torture that ends with me falling out of the bed.
Cole joins me on the floor, and I laugh breathlessly and realize I’m waiting.
Waiting for him to kiss me again.
He doesn’t, though. Probably because he wants to brush his teeth first.
I hope.
He disappears into the bathroom, and I head to help with breakfast, feeling like I’m walking on clouds.
Megan is the only one in the kitchen, and I falter at the sight of her, remembering that part of my conversation with Cole last night.
She looks up and smiles as she stirs something in a big bowl. “Hey.”
I continue toward her. “Hey! You on breakfast duty alone today?”
“Brady’s outside cooking on the grill.”
I peer at him through the window and clench my teeth. “It’s freezing.”
“I know,” she says. “He insists grill bacon is way better than stove or oven bacon.”
I grab the knife next to the fruit. “Brady’s particular about his bacon.” It’s only after I’ve said it that I realize what a poorly chosen comment it is.
Megan’s eyes flick to me, then immediately away. “Yeah, he is.”
“How do you want these bananas done?” I ask, thanking the heavens for an excuse to change the subject.
“Oh, just cut up to go on the pancakes.”
“Perfect.” I start peeling the first banana as Megan pours batter onto the grill in silence.
“I still feel weird about things,” Megan says after a minute.
