Page 79 of The Valentine's Bet

Before we can continue, the waitress reappears with the check. Parker hands her his card, never even giving me the opportunity to ask if we can split it.

As she walks away, he meets my gaze. “What?”

“You didn’t ask if I wanted to split the bill.”

“We’re on a date, Amy. Well, a fake date, but it’s still a date. I’m paying for it. And I’m buying your coffee after this, too,” he adds. “I know you’re into that.”

I smile. “So, we’re getting coffee as well?”

“Absolutely.”

The waitress returns with the receipt and his card, and as he signs for it, I can’t help but admire this side of him. Parker’s not nearly as closed-off as he was the first time we met, and I swear in the last few days he’s become even more handsome ... if that’s even possible.

Parker looks up. “What?”

“Nothing,” I say softly.

I just hope I can find someone like you.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Parker

“What’s going on with you?” Weston narrows his eyes at me from across the table. “You’re acting weird.”

“Wow, thanks,” I mutter, shaking my head. My eyes fall to my phone as a new text pops up on the screen.

Amy:I’m going to be late getting home tonight.

I fight to hold back a smile, and I don’t even know why. Maybe it’s the fact that she calls my apartment home. I guess I find it endearing ... or something.

“Dude,” Weston snaps. “Why are you avoiding my question?”

Oops.

I send her a quick thumbs-up and turn back to Weston. “Sorry. I just got distracted. There’s nothing going on with me. All is good. My sister found a new place. And now that she’s not seeing—”

“I’m not asking about Brittany.” There’s something in his voice that makes me wonder if he already knew about my sister ... from another source. But I don’t push it. “I’m asking aboutyou.”

“There’s not much going on with me. Amy moved in, but other than that—”

“Wait, what?!” Weston nearly comes across the table. “Amymoved in? Why? Why would she move in with you? What the... Are you two...?”

I shake my head. “No, we’re not together. We’re just friends,” I force the words out, and the more I have to say them, the more they’re starting to not sit right with me.

Maybe Idohave a little crush. It’s hard not to when she looks the way she does in the morning with her messy hair, sleepy eyes, and eccentric pajamas.

“Then why is she living with you?”

“Her apartment flooded. I don’t know how long it’ll be before they can fix it or move her to another unit. I told her she could stay with me until it all gets sorted. I have plenty of room.”

Weston nods, but then shakes his head. “You like her staying with you, don’t you?”

“I like having my own space...” I hesitate. “But she did make breakfast this morning. That was prettycool.”

Weston bursts into laughter. “From the moment you laid eyes on her, you were into her. Iknewit.”

My mouth drops open. “Heck no I wasn’t.”

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