Page 25 of Wilder Puck
“I ran out of whipped cream,” she admits, coming around to look at the cookies. “And I had to apologize somehow, so I went with cookies.”
“No, you went with a French martini, turmeric lattes,andcookies.” I glance at her and say, “That’s a bit much for someone who isn’t my friend at the moment.”
“Right. I’m currently not,” she says, clearly forgetting. She stands tall, confidently. “I’m not your friend at the moment, but somehow I’m your fake girlfriend now?”
I like the sound of girlfriend, but how do I remove the fake part? I pull out my can of whipped cream as she gapes at it. “No! You had whipped cream this whole time? I swear I looked there.”
I spray some into my mouth as she grabs a cookie and eats it. I motion for her to open her mouth and then I spray a tiny bit of whipped cream. She chuckles, wiping her lips.
“Thanks,” she says and then walks away. “So, I didn’t want to read all your messages with Hailey, but why did she break up with you?”
I spray more whipped cream into my mouth as Addison sits on the countertop. I say, “Apparently having a woman for a best friend is a deal breaker.”
She clicks her tongue, not even surprised. “Ah, she’s just like Jacob.”
I place the whipped cream back into the fridge and grab a cookie. “Is that right?”
“Yeah,” she says. “You have to choose between me and him.Sorry, Jacob. It ain’t gonna be you, buddy. Yeah, that was the last thing he said to me because I hung up on him and haven’t talked to him since. He did text me to confirm that we’re done, but I didn’t reply because there was no point. It’ll always be you.”
While she’s talking, I catch a button on her top that isn’t buttoned. I don’t have the balls to say anything, so I swear I won’t look there again. But then I comprehend what she just said.
Does she mean that?
“It’ll always be you, too,” I admit, reciprocating the love she clearly has for me. I have the same for her.
She chuckles at my serious tone. “What?” She’s good at playing things off. “Is that why you’re telling your dad I’m your girlfriend?”
I shrug.
She says, “I’ll grab the tray of cookies and you get the whipped cream. I have some making up to do.”
I glance down at the unbuttoned part of her top again and her cleavage is exposed. I might lose every ounce of me if I glance down again.Keep your eyes up where they belong.
I test my luck as we walk to the couch and sit with the cookies between us. “You’re making up for something?” I ask to mess with her.
She grabs a cookie and says, “I feel bad for missing your game. I know how much it means to you that I’m there, and I feel so bad for not telling you about the new job.” She offers me a cookie, so I take it.
“It’s alright,” I mutter.
She laughs. “No, it’s not.”
I smile. “Yeah, it’s not. I need you there,bad.”
I glance down again, by accident. Her pale skin is obvious against her blue pajamas, and the contrast keeps catching my eye.
“Are you cold?” I ask. “Need a blanket or a hoodie?”
A hoodie will solve this issue. I need to force it on her. It’s not like I haven’t seen cleavage before but goddamn, hers look incredibly soft.
She shakes her head, and there goes my chance of sanity.
“Don’t you want cookies?” she offers.
I’ve been avoiding eating all the cookies because I want her to enjoy some. I take one and throw it in my mouth. Sheturns the TV on, and the glow lights up the profile of her face. The sound fills the silence as I watch her grab another cookie. Her lips are pursed as she chews. And now that I’ve told my dad she’s my girlfriend, the idea is stuck in my head. I’ve had the thought a few times around but now it’s really at the forefront, and I wonder if she would say yes. I’m staring at her because she’s gorgeous. There’s no doubt about it.
Not that I’ve ever had any doubts. Her beauty derives from that award-winning personality. Her laugh, her playfulness, and kindness. Sometimes she’s harsh but she’s always real, so I respect it. I stare at her, and I know in my heart that this woman is the whole package. Perhaps I’ve focused too much on being her best friend that I skipped over the idea of her as a girlfriend. Jacob has no idea what he’s lost. And he lost her because of me. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I just pulled a move. Maybe my moment will happen tonight. Maybe I’ve planted the seed that we could be a couple.
“Whipped cream?” she asks, offering to spray some into my mouth.
