Page 94 of Restrictions

I needed space to clear my head, but I couldn’t take him away from Baz. I just couldn’t.

I clear my throat, not wanting to ruin the calm we’ve found. I graduated last month and as of right now, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with my life other than spend time with Baz. Asher is on summer break, and he’s been teaching Baz how to play baseball and soccer.

It’s already been such a great summer, but I can feel the storm coming, and I stand, smoothing the black fabric of my shorts. “The zoo.”

He nods, his bottom lip pushed out as he slouches on the couch. “Cool.” But I know I'm acting weird as Baz flies down the stairs and meets us.

“Is Swearer here?”

His eyes are wide and excited, but Asher’s are full of suspicion and confusion as his head swivels to look at me. “Sawyer’s going to the zoo with you guys?”

My throat is dry, and I feel twitchy and uncomfortable under his scrutiny. I turn to Baz. “Please go get your hat. It’s sunny today.”

He huffs and then runs back up the stairs as I turn toward Asher and take a deep breath, answering his question. “Yes. He is.”

Asher stands, his lean, muscular body stalking toward me. “Since when does Sawyer go to the zoo?”

I shrug and walk toward the kitchen with Asher following behind me, waiting for me to answer. “Since I mentioned we were thinking about going when he was here Tuesday.”

His brow furrows. “Sawyer wasn’t here Tuesday.”

I look down at the tote bag on the counter, the one I fill with sunscreen, snacks, water, Band-Aids, and everything else I can think of. “He was.”

“I wasn’t.”

I shake my head slowly and lift my eyes to look at Asher. “No...”

“What the fuck, Viv?” HIs eyes darken, and I feel my heart race. My palms dampen with my nervousness. I knew this wouldn’t go well.

How could it?

“Asher . . .”

He shakes his head from side to side. “What the hell? Are you fucking him?”

His rash question catches me off guard as my eyes widen, and I shush him, hoping Baz is still up in his room. “Keep your voice down.”

“Tell me.”

“No.” My heart rate hasn’t slowed as I look into his beautiful eyes. I didn’t mean for this to happen. When everything went back to normal, so did hanging out with Sawyer, and he picked up on the awkwardness right away and called us out on it.

We both told him that it was over, and he in his own Sawyer way called bullshit, but he continued to come around.

Somehow, Sawyer and I ended up alone, talking more and more. Until he would come over not to see Asher or Baz, but to hang out with me.

It started as a friendship, but Tuesday, he asked me on a date, a single-mother-approved date to the zoo with the kid he really likes too.

And I didn’t say no.

“Don’t fucking lie to me.” It’s a growl, and it sends a shiver down my spine, feeling his possessiveness but knowing he doesn’t have any right to it.

“I’m not lying.”

“Then what the fuck is this?” He gestures toward my tote.

“We’re going on a date.WithBaz.” I make sure I lower my voice. “There will be no fucking.”

“Not till after.” His gaze is intense, and I’m afraid it will ignite me.

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