Page 16 of The One Who Got Away
But I kicked off my sneakers and handed her the bottle. “Little different than the sodas and gummy bears of our youth.”
She grabbed my arm. “The gummy bears. I almost forgot.” She darted up the two stairs and back into the kitchen. She came out with the bagged candy as well as a massive bag of Pop Corners. “These are much better than Smartfood.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
She plopped herself right in the middle and shook out blankets. “I was thinkingGrosse Point Blankto start?”
“You know me all too well.” I settled beside her and opened the screw top wine. “This one isn’t as fancy.”
“Drinks just fine.” She held out her glass and popped a gummy bear in her mouth.
Fuck, she was even more beautiful somehow. How the hell was I going to manage to not touch her?
Idiot, she doesn’t think of you that way.
I sat back and opened the bag of chips. Not that she’d want to get naked with my skinny little body anyway. I settled in and we were both laughing at John and Joan Cusack’s opening chaos.
Falling right back into spending time with Eloise evened out something deep inside me that I hadn’t realized was so fractured. I’d traveled the world and saw places I’d never dreamed of, but right here in this cozy spot--I’d have traded every single moment.
We laughed and recited the scenes as the wine slowly disappeared.
I was feeling warm and fuzzy, and I had a feeling she was too because she curled into me giving me the red gummy bears, she didn’t like from the bag.
I curled my arm around her in the way we used to, except it didn’t feel like the old days.
It felt like this was exactly where she was supposed to be.
I leaned my cheek against the top of her head for a second. She tipped her head up with a question in her eyes. Without a thought, I lowered my mouth. She tasted of wine and sweetness. Of everything I’d ever wanted.
The sound of the front door dented the cozy moment and she scrambled out of my arms.
The barely started kiss felt more like a tease.
“I’m home!” Melody’s familiar voice floated down the hall.
I laughed as Eloise struggled out of the blankets as if we’d been caught doing way more than a kiss.
I hit pause on the movie. The credits were already rolling anyway. I pushed up off the nest we’d made and grabbed our wine glasses. “Hey, Mrs. Cross.”
Shit. Should I call her that still?
Her mom’s blue eyes swam for a moment before she bundled me up into a hug. “You can call me Melody now. Did you guyshave a nice time?” She patted my arm and frowned. “Why so skinny, Angus?”
I laughed. “Just was working too hard in the rainforest. We’d all sweat buckets.”
“Oh, wow.” She glanced from me to Eloise. “I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah, we lost touch with both our crazy jobs. We were just catching up.” Eloise’s eyes were far too bright. Both with the wine in her cheeks and the fact that she wouldn’t look at me.
Because she was embarrassed we’d kissed, or because her mom caught us?
“Well, I have an early job tomorrow with Cam.”
“You don’t have to go on my account.” Melody frowned, twisting her fingers.
“It’s okay. Sully is just like my dad. Early riser for the win.”
“How are your folks?”
