Page 119 of 10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love

I hear Brad bounding up the stairs, a strange beeping noise accompanying him. He walks into the bedroom holding my stud finder, the noise coming from him as he waves the device in front of me. Hisbeep, beep, beepsintensify.

“Found you,” he says triumphantly.

“You’re ridiculous,” I tell him, unable to stop my grin. “Did you find that in my tool bag?”

“Yep.”

“You didn’t get out the—”

“No, I wasn’t playing with your drill again,” he says, pouting. “I’m well aware we still need to repair the wall after last time.”

“Mhm,” I say mildly.

“I didn’t know it’d start spinning when I squeezed the trigger!” he defends. “I thought the safety was on.”

I snort, waving toward my closet. “What’s this?”

Brad brightens immediately. “Oh, that’s your fanny rack, dude! A rack for all your packs. It keeps ’em neat and tidy. Nice, right?”

“Sure,” I say slowly. “But, uh, when did I get so many?”

The…fanny rack, as Brad called it, has a good dozen fanny packs tucked into neat rows. Last I was aware, I only had two.

“Imighthave gone on a bit of a spending spree,” Brad says. “But you deserve to look pretty, babe.”

He pats my stomach, his touch lingering as he looks fondly over the fanny packs.

I don’t even tell my traitorous heart to cut it out.

“Should I wear one tonight?” I ask, pulling a shirt off its hanger and shrugging it on.

Brad hems with a prolonged “ehhh” noise, seemingly torn. “I mean, it’s not really a pack place. But… Your fannies, man.”

“How about I wear one tomorrow?” I suggest, doing up the buttons on my shirt. “Your choice.”

“Ooh, the ‘sexy bitch’ one,” he says excitedly, his previous woe forgotten. “No, wait. The tie-dye.No. ‘Cool dad.’ Definitely that one. You’re a total DILF, dude.”

“I’m…not even a dad,” I point out.

Hepshts. “Not yet, maybe.”

I’m pretty sure my heart stops.

“We should get going,” Brad says, checking the time on his phone. “Are you ready?”

Christ.

“I hope so,” I mutter.

Brad drives us into town, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel as he hums along to the music on the radio. He’s wearing a long-sleeved green shirt in nearly the same color as his eyes tonight, and when he looks over at me with an instant smile, I’m hit the same way I was the first time I saw him.

He took my breath away then. That smile. The sight of his laugh. The way he drew me in like a magnet, calling to the very iron in my blood to get closer and learn who he was.

He still takes my breath away. I think he always will.

Brad pulls into a parking garage not far from his own apartment, and I wing up a brow.

“Are we heading to your place to play video games?” I ask.

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