Page 19 of This

“You,” I say. “You should never give up your own happiness or peace of mind or sense of self for someone else. Anyone who asks you to isn’t worth the sacrifice, and anyone who is never would.”

A streetlight hits his face, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m in it for the money then.”

He looks over, his grin spreading. I laugh. He’s messing with me.

“We’re here, by the way.” He pulls into the parking lot of a big-box store and parks next to a faded blue minivan with a dent in the side door.

“Are we going grocery shopping?” I ask, climbing out.

We meet at the back of the truck. “Why? Were you hoping for something more along the lines of dinner and a movie for our date? Because we’ve both already eaten, and I fall asleep during movies.”

“When did this become a date?”

He tucks me under his arm, shielding me from the wind on our way inside. “You’re right,” he says. “It’s not a date. If it were, I would tell you.”

“Considerate of you, but most guys would ask.”

“Too risky. You might say no, and I’d need to respect your decision.”

I roll my eyes and lean into him as he kisses the top of my head. Through the automatic doors, he stops for two shopping carts and pushes one toward me.

“I’ll meet you at the registers in fifteen minutes.”

“You haven’t told me what we’re buying,” I call after him.

He shrugs, still walking away. “Follow your heart.”

My heart leads me to garden gnomes dressed as gangsters, a sparkly phone case shaped like a unicorn, and the liquor aisle.

When we meet back at the front of the store, Dane crashes his cart into mine. He examines my items and fishes out the tequila bottle. “I like how your mind works, Bennett Ross, but this might not go with what I picked up.”

In the bottom of his cart is a bottle of wine, a blanket, throw pillows, and candles.

I narrow my eyes at him. “Not a date, huh?”

He tilts his head back and forth, thinking it over, and then he smiles. “No. Now, it’s a date.”

Iblink at him. “Youcan’t just declare us on a date.”

“I just did though.” He pushes his cart into a checkout lane, and mine goes abandoned.

The man in front of us balances a kid in each arm and a phone between his ear and shoulder as he points out what brand of cigarettes he wants. Incredible talents develop when the need arises.

Dane picks up a container of mints from the display and shakes them at me. “Do you like these?”

“No.” Not entirely sure how annoyed I am with him yet, I cross my arms. “Buy the cinnamon ones.”

His lips twitch, and he switches them. They go on the conveyer belt along with everything else. While we wait on the cashier, he tugs me over to him by the arm. “Pout all you want, baby. This is happening.”

I sigh and let myself lose the battle. “Fine, but I don’t sleep with guys on the first date.”

“Respectable,” he says, securing his arms around my waist. “That’s why I’m calling coffee and dinner dates one and two. We can say me grinding on you in your bedroom is three if you want. I’ll leave it up to you.”

“Four dates in three months? No wonder we’re not getting anywhere.”

He lets go of me to pay. “When you fall for a drifter, you take what you can get.”

If I hadn’t already decided to give in, I would when he looks back and smiles.

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