Page 63 of Crazy for this Girl

I glower at him because there is only one place it could’ve met its fate. “Cal…”

“Yes, sweetheart?” He mocks innocence when we both know that’s a load of crap. The only thing he hated more than maybe that Josh kid was my black Good Charlotte shirt.

“I will kill you if you did something to it.”

Cal drags me flush against to his body to where there isn’t an inch of space between us. As if this dance is us practicing for the real event of becoming man and wife. “That’s no way to start off a marriage, Laynee.”

No remorse.

Zero.

Zilch.

Nodda.

There will never be a ceremony for him and I, because if he jacked my shirt, I’ll never wear a ring that claims me as his girl when he clearly ganked it from me.

“Youstolemy Good Charlotte shirt.”

“Nah.“ He shakes his head. "I lit a match to your shirt.”

My lips part at his admission. The betrayal he just admitted as if it was nothing but doing me a favor.

“I needed to save you. It was my duty to protect—“ I purposely step on his foot, and all he does is laugh through my grief. “I take this as you going to divorce me?”

“I already said I was going to kill you.”

“That would kill me. I couldn’t imagine my life without Laynee Reese in it.” I bristle in his arms, and he causes me to flinch a little when he bends forward, his shampoo of citrus mixing in with his familiar piney scent. “You gonna hate me forever now?”

No.

“Probably,” I grumble like a giant baby.

Cal presses a soft and sweet kiss on top of my head, and that’s when I know I’m in trouble. It’s that, no matter what he does, I will always be at his side. Cheering him on, being his anchor, his sidekick, whatever he needs.Precious t-shirt be damned.

“I missed you,” he mutters above my nose, his forehead flattening against mine. “This is, by far, the best birthday ever. I still can’t believe you’re here with me. That you actually kept this a secret.”

The air thickens between us, causing my throat to go a little dry. We’re but a breath away, the temptation of his lips but one good or bad decision away.

“Laynee?”

“Mhm?”

“Nothing changes between us, right?”

Holy shit.

My immediate thought is that he’s going to do it. He’s going to kiss me again, in the middle of a party, and I’m not going to stop him. There’s no Hailee stopping us or parents to call out and interrupt.

“Never,” I whisper, but barely. My hand cups around the back of his neck, the other lightly caressing the hairs just above.

“Good, because I’m not sorry I burnt that damn shirt.” I roll my eyes, and his nose Eskimo kisses mine. “I’m hungry. Buy me a pizza.”

“We’re not married yet,” I counter through my vanishing irritation. “And you’re awfully demanding.”

“Maybe, but damn girl, did you miss me. You bought a plane ticket and everything to come here,” he vouches, clicking back on his annoying switch. “I mean, how much was that? You must’ve done a lot of saving up to—” I reach up to bite his nose, which he quickly dodges, then dips my upper half so that my head goes upside down before he guides me back up.

“You’re a jerk.”

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