Page 154 of Always You

“Are you kidding me? I’ve been dying to know for years, Hansen.”

I look up to the ceiling before I close my eyes, enjoying the fact that she’s joking with me. Clearly, she has no clue what the answer to that question is.

“Spending the night with you,” I blurt.

Her eyes widen, her lips parting, forming a silent ‘O’. Shock glimmers in her eyes, and I swear the hue change on her cheeks.

“Right.” She averts her gaze, not wanting to go into it any further, and I press my lips together, suppressing a smile.

“Let’s keep going,” I say, hoping to maintain the relaxed energy she’s been giving me. “Once upon a time, you told me you wanted to travel. Where to?”

She gives me a grateful look, relieved I don’t push for her reaction to my answer.

“Spain.”

“Yeah?” I smile.

“Oh yeah, I want to dance flamenco, eat tapas, and tasterealSangria. Not that shit we have in the grocery store.” She turns up her nose, and I smile, knowing exactly where I’m gonna take her when I get the chance.

“Okay, next one.” Her face lightens up a little bit more with every question, and the victorious feeling inside of me grows bigger as the game progresses.

“You have to pick: never fighting or never eating clementine vanilla ice cream.”

I give her an incredulous look.

“Are you shitting me?”

“Answer it!” Her smile splits her face, a bright look in her eyes.

“Charls,” I growl.

“Answer it!” she repeats, amused.

I rub my neck, pursing my lips, until I answer with a long sigh.

“You know I’m not giving up ice cream.”

Her shoulders shake with laughter, a smug grin spreading across her cheeks.

“Glad to see some things never change. Guess I figured out your guilty pleasure.”

“A hundred percent,” I admit. “I can’t live without ice cream.”

“Who can live without ice cream?” she says, pulling a face in that cute way she does.

“Not us, babe. Not us.”

“Right.” She smiles, then glances at her front door. “Well, I guess I should be going. Early day tomorrow.”

I know she has nowhere to go, but I don’t call her out on it, happy with the few hours she gifted me with today.

“Yeah. I guess so.”

She lets out a deep sigh, giving me a tight smile as her fingers reach for the handle of the door. It takes everything I have not to pull her back and against my chest.

“I guess I’ll see you around?” A hint of kindness is visible in her eyes, and I take a snapshot of it in my head, wanting to make sure I remember that look on her face when she’s pissed at me again.

“You bet, babe.”

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