Page 14 of Heartstrings & Horizons
Paige chuckles. “Actually, yes. I said sorry to a seagull for not having any bread today.”
“As you should, it was very inconsiderate of you. Have some foresight, next time.” I love to tease her, but with Paige, kindness isn’t simply an overused generalization. She is genuinely a sweetheart, so as ridiculous as it sounds, I believe it. “So, how are things going on the app?”
“UGH,” she grumbles. “Nothing but dick pics. I did talk to one guy who seems kind of promising, so naturally I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. What about you?”
Who the fuck is sending her dick pics?Something like possessiveness momentarily washes over me and I have to tamp it down.
“Oh, you have no idea. I matched with this girl who wanted me to send her my birth chart. Like, she couldn’t date me until she knew my star sign compatibility.”
“So… did you do it?”
I shake my head. “Hell no, I wasn’t about to ask my mom what time I was born and have to explain why I was asking. But I did tell her I’m a Sagittarius, and she ghosted.”
Paige bursts out laughing. It’s unrestrained and I want to commit to memory to replay over and over again.
“Ok, so what are we watching tonight?” We have a standing weekly date to binge watch a tv show together ever since she made me start the 1st season of Bridgerton.
Paige looked thoughtful for a moment. “How about Game of Thrones? I’ve heard it’sdelightful.”
I raise an eyebrow in question, and she smiles back sweetly through the screen. “I’ve also heard they shit the bed in the final seasons. Do we really want to go down that road?”
“Fine, why don’t you pick, Cowboy?” She’s putting on an act like she’s irritated, but she likes to poke the bear. I take a moment to scroll through some of the options, finally landing on one that I know will make her day.
“OK, I’ve got it. Friends.”
Paige’s smile is genuine. “Yes! But if I start quoting things, you better not say a word.”
“Big fan?”
“You have no idea,” she says, and those adorable dimples appear in her cheeks as she scrunches up her nose. “It’s one of the few shows I ever watched with my mom. A way for us to find common ground, I guess.”
I nod, not wanting to dive any deeper into her relationship with her mom. It feels like I’d be wading into dangerous waters, so I let it go.
As the theme song plays, I lean back on my couch, settling into the familiar comfort.
An hour later, I’ve been tossed into the deep end of a heated debate, though I’m not really sure how it was triggered.
“They were so NOT on a break!”
I’m not even fighting her on it at this point. I love when she gets all worked up. Her cheeks flush and it makes me wonder what else I could do to get her to look like that. I picture myself with my head between her luscious thighs, tongue plunging into her hot, wet…
“CADE. Are you even listening to me?”
“What? Yep. Break. Got it.”
“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”
“Sure, I did.”
“Ok, Cowboy. I think it’s time to call it a night.”
“No, I’m good, I swear.”
“One more episode.”
One more turns into 5, and we both fall asleep, the video call still going.
“Paige, babe, I’m home,” her roommate whispers, somewhere out of view of the camera. Checking my phone, I realize the call has been running for hours. I swipe back over and notice Paige is on the move. A door opens and shuts behind her as the golden light of the rising sun illuminates her face.
