Page 75 of Make It Without You

I meet his gaze in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. “We’ll start with sleepovers.”

“I can work with that. Well, I’ll let you shower and then we can pick out a movie.”

“Okay.” I watch him push off the doorframe and leave his bedroom, closing the door with a soft click.

Adam overwhelms me in the best possible way. And as I turn on the waterfall shower I realize that jumping into something with him could either end in love or disaster.

Adam

It took herculean effort to leave my bedroom while Emily showered. Just picturing her naked body with bubbles running down her petite frame made me want to propose marriage. So I walked down the hall to Dylan’s bedroom to tidy it up to keep my mind off of Emily in my shower and my hands busy with something that doesn’t involve her body.

My dad-hearing was up to par when I heard her pad downstairs, as casually as I could, I walked back to my bathroom to shower. With my towel wrapped around my waist, I walk into my closet and pause when I see her bag on my closet floor. Seeing her bag occupying space in my closet gives me hope that one day more than just her bag will be taking up space in my closet.

Pulling on sweatpants and a t-shirt, I toss my discarded towel into the hamper and head downstairs.

My steps falter as I descend the last couple of steps when I find her curled on the couch looking completely at home in my home. Her damp hair leaves water on the hoodie she must’ve stolen from my closet. Seeing as it dwarfs her petite frame causes me to wonder if she’s wearing anything underneath. And when I walk towards her, the scent of my soap and shampoo requiresme to adapt my breathing exercises I hadn’t used in years. Emily in my hoodie and smelling like me is taking every bit of willpower in me not to maul her.

Heading over to the bay windows, I pull the curtains closed to set the movie mood. Walking to the couch, I swipe the remote off the coffee table and take my place by Emily. She’s got a blanket settled over her lap and her phone in her hands.

“Who are you texting?”

“My best friends. They’re curious about you.” She tells me and throws her phone to the other end of the couch when she deems herself done with their conversation.

I sit back on the couch and prop my feet up on the coffee table. “What have you told them? And what do you want to watch? I have no clue what your movie interests are.”

“That does seem like something we should have covered. But I’m good with anything. Except for slasher films and war documentaries.”

“Okay. Gonna nix those from the list,” I joke.

Emily lightly shoves me. “But as for my friends. I’ve told them next to nothing.”

Nodding my head slowly to hide the disappointment.

“Honey,” she gently tilts my chin to her. “It’s not that I’m ashamed of you. I am so far from ashamed of you that it’s not even funny. Like I’m kind of obsessed with being around and with you. But I didn’t want to say anything to them until I knew for sure that this thing between us was worth pursuing.”

I grab her hand and kiss her palm. “I wanna meet them.”

“I know. I want that too.”

Satisfied with her response, I put onTransformersand settle in. Emily spreads the blanket over my lap and wraps herself around my arm. Leaning down I kiss her forehead and watch as the opening sequence fills the screen.

Emily watches the movie as if she’s never seen it. And she would have fooled me had she not quoted the movie line-for-line.

“Want some ice cream?” I ask Em when the first movie ends.

“Yes, please.” She stretches and mewls like a kitten.

“Is vanilla okay with you?”

She nods her head and pulls back the blanket to allow me the freedom to get up. I head to the freezer and pick out the almost empty carton of vanilla ice cream. Deciding against a bowl, I instead snag a spoon and warm up the ice cream as best as I can in my hand as I make my way back to the couch.

“You’re being a rebel,” Emily announces and lays the blanket back over my lap when I sit back down. She grabs the remote and presses play on the next movie.

“Hey. I didn’t want to use unnecessary dishes. And it’s almost empty so we can finish this off as the movie plays.”

“I guess I’ll allow it.” She vows and turns sideways, tucking a foot between my legs and eyeing the ice cream carton like it’s a winning prize.

“Should I be worried about you and ice cream?” I eye her suspiciously as I pop the lid off and place it on the coffee table.

---