Page 103 of How to Prevent a Fumble

I stop at the small twenty-four hour convenience store on the way home, loading up on all the snacks I can get my hands on. Chips, cookies, you name it.

I’m in a snacking mood tonight, and I know the girls will be too. Elara asks her mom every night if there’s chips, and she has to say no.

Don’t tell my trainer.

The first thing I notice when I get home is that all of thelights are off. I check the time on my phone, and since it’s only ten, I creep down the hall to see if anyone is still up.

I never quite realized how noisy my feet are until this moment, as it creaks under my shoes.

“Leo?” Briar’s voice calls from her room. Clearly being sneaky is not something I’m good at.

“Uhh, yeah?” I call.

“You can come in,” she says, her voice quieter.

With a deep sigh, I push her door open, peeking inside.

And my heart instantly melts.

Briar is in bed, propped against a pillow as Elara lays in her lap, her head lolled to the side as she sleeps.

“You okay? You’re back early,” she says, her brows furrowed. Her hair is thrown up haphazardly in a bun and I can see her freckles from here.

“Yeah I just, well, I just wanted to be home. I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie together or something,” I ramble, trying to get the words out before she shuts me down.

Her eyes narrow slightly as if she’s trying to read me before looking down at Elara’s peaceful face. Something stirs in the corner of the room, and I find Champ rolling over and letting out a loud yawn as her puppy eyes meet mine.

“Yeah, sure. Let me just put her to bed, okay?”

Briar pauses the show they were watching before carefully picking Elara up, bringing her to bed. When she walks past me, her warm almond scent engulfs me, wrapping me in a warm hug as she heads across the hallway, Elara’s head bobbing as she goes.

And it’s suddenly my favorite scent in the world.

Five minutes later and she looks shocked to find me in the same place, backed up against the doorframe.

“Are you going to tell me why you’re here?” she asks with a small smile.

“I wanted to hang out with you,” I tell her honestly, but Ican tell she doesn’t believe me. “What movie do you want to watch?”

She purses her lips, unsure.

“I can pick if you really want me to.”

She nods, which I wasn’t really planning for. I was honestly really hoping that she’d pick something she wanted to watch considering when it comes to movies, I don’t really know shit.

“How about National Treasure?” I say, thinking of the very first movie to come to mind.

“That’s a bit random but sure,” she says with a shrug, climbing into bed and picking up the remote.

I gulp.

“Do you want to watch in the family room?” I ask, biting my lip.

Stretching, Briar rolls her eyes. “Get the fuck in the bed, Leo.”

Wincing, I look back toward the kitchen. “Actually, I got snacks before I came back. Do you want anything? I got those chips you said you liked at our first dinner.” Are my hands shaking? Why am I so nervous?

She had asked what my favorite lunch spot was, and I had asked what her go-to meal was. She informed me that she loved the kettle cooked potato chip, and no other plain chip. I believe her exact words were “I love the way they rip apart the top of my mouth.”

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