Page 27 of Sin

I look at her gravely. “No, I’m the joy vacuum, remember? It’s my job to ensure your misery. You need to keep the ice pack on for five minutes and then switch to the other wrist so I can vacuum up the rest of the joy. I gotta be thorough.”

She smiles, and the sight of it makes my heart flutter. “I can’t believe I called you that. What a dick thing to say.”

I laugh. “Yeah, you can be a dick sometimes, but I probably deserve it.”

She shakes her head. “You don’t. You’re pretty selfless, and I wish I appreciated it more. I can’t believe how much time you’ve spent helping me with my sleep, especially when you have so much on your plate.”

Right. I’m selfless. That’s why my accountability partner job evolved into daily texts about her sleep. Why I can’t wait to get a response, even when the subject matter would be boring if I was texting with anyone else.

Not because the mere thought of her lights me up inside.

“Speaking of which,” Lily starts, “should we go ahead and start our sleep coaching session early? We might as well since I’m already here.”

“Sure, but we’re not going to talk in the study. I want to get your mind off today. How about we watch a movie or something?”

The shock in her eyes makes my face heat. Did it sound like an excuse to her? Like I just want to spend an intimate evening with her and invented a reason to do it?

“I didn’t even know you watch movies,” she says.

Ah, so she thinks I don’t know how to distract her, that because I’m so rigid in my routines, I don’t know how to have fun. “I don’t that often, but I’ll watch whatever you pick from start to finish. I can even promise I won’t do a single burpee. I hope you understand how difficult that’ll be for me.”

“No, no.” She sets her hand on my arm. “You need to hit your burpee count for the day. I refuse to let you make such a grave sacrifice on my behalf.”

Heat creeps into my cheeks. Clearly, Noah told her about how I make sure I get in a hundred burpees a day before bedtime. No wonder she’s always thought I have a stick up my ass.

I do have a stick up my ass.

I clear my throat. “Alright, I’ll head to the gas station and grab some snacks. What do you want?”

Her eyes grow huge. “Anything I want? Like Doritos and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups?”

“Sure.”

Her smile grows mischievous. “And you’ll eat them with me, right?”

I fight the urge to cringe. So many carbs.

But I refuse to have a stick up my ass tonight. I’m taking a day off from my exercise and diet protocol. “Sure, and I normally don’t eat anything after six o’clock, especially not empty carbs. I’m laying down my life for you.”

“A hero. Thank you for your service, Private Harrington.”

I nod. “It’s my honor to serve. Alright, anything to add to the list besides Reese’s and Doritos?”

Her face lights up. “Oh, yes. Sour skittles and a fountain Dr. Pepper. It must be fountain with lots of ice, and I want the biggest size they have. I do mean the biggest size. If they have a sixty-four-ounce cup, you’re getting it. Don’t let me down, soldier.”

I groan. “That will be just for you. Dr. Pepper has caffeine. I never drink caffeine this late.”

“Oh, no.” She winces dramatically. “What’ll happen if you accidentally take a sip? Will I need to take you to the hospital?”

“No, we have a defibrillator in the first aid kit. You should be able to resuscitate me on your own.”

Her smile fades, and what looks like surprise flashes in her eyes.

“What?” I ask.

She shakes her head slowly. “Why were you never like this before? Whenever I teased you… You just always seemed annoyed. I never thought you could be so…fun.”

Fun. The word hits me like a jolt of electricity. Lily Greenwood thinks I’m fun.

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