Page 19 of Twink Heart

?“Uh…”

?“You don’t have to do that, Rowan.” James looked suddenly embarrassed for the first time. “We just met. You hardly know me.”

?“You can stay,” I nodded, surprised by the words that came out of my own mouth. “It’s a two-bedroom cabin, so I’ve got room.”

?“Then it’s all settled,” Doc smiled. “Now go away.”

Chapter Ten: Rowan

Our night wasn’t even close to over after the vet’s office. The first thing we did was make a quick trip back to James’ apartment so that he could grab some essentials. Well, so that I could grab them for him. After that it was picking up dinner on the way home. Ludington was a small town and if it had been any other night but Friday, everything would’ve been closed. Lucky for us James knew a little bar that made, according to him, the best chicken strips in town. He put in an order that I stopped and picked up on the way home.

?By the time I pulled into the driveway the entire car smelled of deep fried food and I felt like I might starve to death if I didn’t get to eat them soon. I carried James inside, his bag and our food cradled in his arms. We parked on the couch and dug in, both of us ravenous after a long hike and a very long detour on the way back home.

?But after the first few bites, I found it hard to concentrate on the food. All I could keep doing was glancing up at James over and over again, hoping that he didn’t notice how much I was gawking. Despite his accident earlier in the night, he was still a pinnacle of joy and sunshine. Nothing got that guy down. A part of me admired his tenacity, but the louder side of me found it more than a little annoying. Some asshole had left broken glass at the beach that just put him through a world of pain. How could he not be upset about that?

?However, all that being said, I couldn’t help feeling a little grateful about the glass. If it hadn’t happened, James would be at his own place right now and I’d be in this cabin alone, probably skipping dinner again. Even though he was all bandaged up, it was nice to have someone to eat with. I’d grown so used to sharing meals with Mia that it felt odd to eat alone this past week. Having James there gave me a small sense of normalcy that I didn’t know I’d been craving. And all thanks to his accident.

?Did it make me a bad person that I was enjoying it?

?“I can hear the cogs turning from here,” James smiled, giving me a playful nudge. “Is the chicken really that good?”

?I shook myself out of it. “Sorry. Spaced out.” I paused. “Uh, yeah. I guess the chicken is good.”

?“You guess?!” He was completely flabbergasted. “These are the best chickie fingies in town!”

?“What the hell did you just say?” I asked, furrowing my brows.

?“Chickie fingies?”

?“Chickie fingies?!” I couldn’t help the smile that spread over my face. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Are you a toddler?!”

?James just shrugged, enjoying my reaction. “That’s what they are.”

?“Oh my god…” I shook my head. “I never expected to hear a grown man say that. Or anyone for that matter.”

?I looked up, noticing he was staring at me.

?“What?” I asked, suddenly self conscious.

?“You have a really beautiful smile. You should wear it more often.”

?“I… reserve it for special occasions,” I replied, already feeling it slip away. “It doesn’t come out much lately.”

?“That’s okay. It was worth it.”

?Those damn butterflies in my stomach were going crazy again. Anxiety rushed through my chest and I felt the heat in my cheeks. When he looked at me like that… I couldn’t explain it. Everything just went haywire and my heart began to tap dance in my chest. Something about him drove me crazy, but I didn’t understand why.

?“So,” I said, pulling my gaze away. “How long have you worked at the vet clinic?”

?“Only about a year,” James replied, going back to his food. Although I could still see him keeping an eye on me, hoping I would smile again. “I plan on staying there as long as I can. At least until I go to vet school.”

?“Is that something you want to do?”

?He shrugged. “Maybe. I’m not really sure. It’s an idea though.”

?“And your boss has stitched you up before?”

?James laughed. “Well, that was the first time he’s had to sew me back together. There was the rash thing he so nicely reminded me of.” He glanced in my direction. “Do yourself a favor, never get poison ivy on your junk. It’s awful.”

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