Page 38 of Nothing To Lose
"I was smiling at you, Ma."
"Bullshit you were smiling at me."
Tyler covers his mouth, trying to hold in more laughter. My mother gives methe look.
Rolling my eyes dramatically, I turn the phone around, facing the screen towards Tyler, who freezes.
"Oh my God, there's a boy there!Chelsey!Come in here! Your brother has aboyover!"
"No he does not!" she yells from the background. My sister runs into the frame, smooshing her face next to Mom's. "Holy shit. OMG he's cute, too, right?"
They're trying to snicker and gossip between themselves, but they're loud enough that poor Tyler is hearing every word, wide-eyed and confused about what he's been thrown into. I give him a wink. Just wait until she asks for his phone number and starts calling him every other day to check in, too.
"Wait. Are those… candles?!"
Looking down, I realize that she's right. Tyler has laid a blanket out on the floor, thrown a few of the couch pillows down, and set out some battery operated candles. My eyes trail from the ground, to Tyler, who has now turned several shades darker red than he was a minute ago.
I end the call with barely more than a, "Gotta go, love ya," and stare back at Tyler.
"What is all this?"
"I ordered us some dinner, and I thought we'd eat it picnic style. Nothing special, really."
"And the candles?"
"Just some aesthetics."
"Are you trying to seduce me?"
"I would never."
"This looks like you're trying to seduce me."
"Full of yourself much? You were clear that we should slow down a little, and I agree with you. Mostly. This is just—" he huffs out a breath. "I wanted to say thank you. For everything."
Stepping around the setup, I wrap an arm gently around his waist and pull him in for a slow, deep kiss that makes my toes want to curl. Seriously, how can just a kiss affect me so much?
We're saved by a knock at the front door. We pull apart, and Tyler goes to get the food. When he comes back, he sets the bag in the middle of the blanket and sits on one of the couch pillows. I take the pillow opposite, watching him as he pulls out containers of something that smells delicious. I don't recognize the logo on the bag.
"It's Korean, from Seoul Garden. Bulgogi, galbi, kimchi pancakes, and kimbap," he tells me, pointing out each of the dishes he ordered. "These are all my favorites."
"It smells amazing."
We eat until we're so stuffed, all we can do is lay out on the blanket, our heads in the middle and legs out on opposite ends, looking at each other upside down. We're both lazily facing each other, laughing as I tell him some of my mom and sister's antics through the years. It strikes me how much I'd like him to meet them. How much I want to share a real, loving, supportive family with him.
When our laughter dies down, and we're too sleepy and full and happy to do anything other than stare at each other, I feel like I could live in this moment forever. Leaning in a little, I drop a light kiss on Tyler's temple, his eye, his cheekbone, his nose even though it's not injured. I just love his nose. Then his mouth. It's slow, and sweet, and perfect.
Everything around me feels like it's falling into place.
I just hope it isn't too good to be true.
11
TYLER
"So, I did something in one of my classes this week. I hope it's okay."
My leg is bouncing excitedly. It's dumb. It’s just a class assignment, and it’s not like he's actually going to use it, but I'm ridiculously excited to show him. I'm like a kindergartener bringing home their first macaroni necklace.
