Page 65 of Butterfly Effect

“Get that thing away from me, Pretty Boy.”

“I love that you think I’m pretty.”

She scoffs. I stop the noisy exhale by pressing the tip of my nose to hers and speak into her parted mouth, keeping my hips angled away.

“And by the way, I don’t plan on giving it to you until you’re begging for it.”

Her chest heaves as I draw space between us once more, reaching into the next drawer over to retrieve my car keys.

“You’re lucky I have to go work out.” I flick her apron with my index finger before sauntering to the door to put on some sneakers. “Or else I’d have to pin you down and make you call me pretty again.”

Gabe clears her throat and calls after me. “Those lines don’t work on me!”

“You’re a terrible liar.” My keys jingle in hand as I wave her off. “And don’t forget to wear something nice on Friday. It’s a party, after all.”

“Can’t look too nice, oryour little problemwill never go away.”

I stop in the foyer and adjust my boxer briefs. “Little problem?Is this you begging for a reminder?”

Freckles groans. “No.”

I give it a rest. The door creaks under the weight of my shoulder. “Will you be here when I get back?”

She shakes her head. “I’m working.”

A hint of solemnity replaces the usual fiery spark in Gabe’s eyes. I rub the dip of my sternum, where a heartburn-like sensation grows. I really need to figure out how to make this woman smile. Annoyance will do for now. Anything except sadness.

“See you Friday, Freckles.”

I don’t wait for a snarky response, but as her profile disappears from view, her eyelashes flutter over her exasperated face.

Relief sighs out, and a satisfied smirk paints my face for the rest of the day.

Chapter 12

Tell Me It’s Okay

Gabe

No matterhow many times I refresh it, Wade’s comment on my Instagram post won’t go away.

Maybe it wasn’t the best decision to take a selfie biting into one of the cupcakes I’d made and captioning it “me vs. dessert: who’s sweeter?” but I’d gotten social media manager approval, and for what?

Twelve hundred fifty-one likes for wadeboehner31 commenting, “No competition, not even close”? And don’t get me started on all the replies gushing over how cute Wade is, how we’re relationship goals, how lucky I am to have a boyfriend like him. Good thing they don’t know about the filthy follow-up texts.

Pretty Boy

No offense to the cupcake, but you taste way better, Freckles

Me

Gag me.

Pretty Boy

I’d be happy to

Me

---