Page 28 of The Off-Limits Rule: Extended Edition

She looks considerably more relieved and holds out her hand for me to shake, like this is an official business deal we’ve just made. It’ll hold up in court as far as she’s concerned.

I reach out and take Lucy’s hand…and wiggle it because she’s already rubbing off onme.

Lucy doesn’t give me any time to say anything further on the subject before she smiles and turns, disappearing into the guest bathroom to change her clothes. I remain motionless in the hallway, wondering if Drew would be pissed if I woke him up right now to get his permission to date Lucy. Even better question: Was she being honest about only being caught up in the moment?

I hope not.

Chapter 11

Lucy

Waking up in Cooper’s clothes is a heady feeling. His shirt smells rugged and handsome, just like him, and for some reason I can’t bring myself to take it off.Just one more quick minute,I tell myself like a freak as I bring the cotton to my nose and drag in a deep breath. So good. He’s the only man I’ve ever known to smell as good as he looks.

Being rejected last night was definitely one of the worst moments of my life. But then, after we talked more and he shared everything about his ex, it was clear that Cooper’s heart is good, and even if he is a bit of a flirt, he’s not the type of guy to string me along for no reason. It was good he didn’t kiss me since he’s obviously not into me. It’s a tiny bit (read: massively) disheartening that he doesn’t feel the same way about me that I feel about him, but it’s better that he is up-front about it and not playing with my emotions and treating me like a passing encounter he never intends to follow through on (ahem,Brent).

Also, I don’t think I have anything to be embarrassed about, because I’m pretty sure Cooper is used to most people trying to kiss him. I bet it’s a very regular occurrence. If he made out with every person who ever tried to lock lips with him, it would turn into his full-time job. So, it’s fine. I’m going to choose not to freak out about it or dive into a hole of closed-off mortification in typical Lucy style and, instead, go about my day. I also might have decided to take that memory and shove it somewhere deep down where I can never reach it again and pretend it never happened.Denial is healthy, right?

Cooper’s sweatpants are loose around my waist, and I have to roll them three times before leaving my room to make breakfast. My mom said she could keep Levi as long as I needed, but since I don’t have any appointments today (still building my clientele), I took the day off and am anxious to be reunited. I decide to get my day going early so I can pick him up this morning instead of later. Being a mom is kind of weird. One minute, you’re begging a sitter to take your terrible/snotty/sleepless kid off your hands, then five minutes after they’re gone, you find yourself misty-eyed, staring at pictures you took yesterday of that darling/angelic/precious child and wondering if it’s too soon to go pick themup.

“Where’d you get those clothes?” My brother’s voice booms from behind me, making me startle and launch the cereal I was pouring into the air. It’s raining hearts, stars, horseshoes, clovers, and balloons.

I put my hand over my heart and let out a breathy laugh. “Gosh. You scared me.”

He’s not deterred. Drew’s eyes are like lasers on Cooper’s shirt draping my body like a tent. “Whose shirt? It looks familiar.”

Oh shoot, oh shoot, oh shoot. What am I going to say? Lie?Tell the truth? Drop my bowl of cereal and run out the door? Actually, yeah, that make-a-break-for-it option sounds pretty good.

I swallow and tiptoe around the truth. “Just from a guy.”

“Which guy?”

Which guy…? Good question.“Why does it matter?” My pitch is too high. It sounds like a siren alerting him to danger.

Drew’s eyes narrow on my shirt like he’s trying to place it. Why did I have to parade around the house in this like a lovesick shmuck? “Looks like one of Cooper’s T-shirts.”

I laugh a booming HA-HA-HA and throw my head back like no real person ever does when they are laughing because I’m a terrible liar. “Cooper’s shirt! Now that’s funny!”

His face is devoid of amusement. We look like an illustration of opposites. “Not really. What’s wrong with you?”

I wipe an imaginary laughter tear. “Nothing. It’s just a funny thought.Me,wearing one ofyourfriend’s shirts. How would I have even gotten it? Broken into his house and stolen it without him knowing so I could wear it and smell it forever?”

He sighs. “Tell me right now—did you do that, Lucy?”

“Oh my gosh! No!” I pick up my bowl of cereal to carry it to my room and escape the brother inquisition. “I can’t believe you even asked me that.”

The moment my back is to him, I widen my eyes and puff out a relieved breath, then hightail it to my room. Pretending to be angry at his lack of faith in me works, and Drew doesn’t bug me the rest of the morning about the clothes. I then try to concoct a believable story about the origin of these garments so I can wear them around the house for the rest of my life. Cooper is never getting them back.

—

“Helllloooo, anyone home?” I yell into my parents’ house.

“Up here, honey!” says my mom from upstairs.

I take the stairs two at a time like I’ve done forever, then follow the sound of laughter all the way into their bonus room. I stop on the threshold and smile at the sight of what looks like a room struck by a hurricane of fun. All around, there are pillows forming various paths to end tables covered in blankets. There are plastic laundry hampers turned upside down and a long blanket tied to the running ceiling fan. My mom is standing like a flamingo, perched on the arm of the couch, and my dad is lying face down, acting like a human bridge with his feet on the couch and chest on the coffee table. Levi is walking, arms outstretched like wings, using my dad as a balance beam.

“Hi, hon! How’s your day?” asks my mom like this is the most normal situation to find themin.

I laugh and step in farther, ready to ask her what they’re up to, when the room collectively erupts in one giantNOOOO!,making me jump back and nearly fall onto my butt.

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