Page 86 of Poppy Kisses
I pressed my lips together. She wasn’t reassuring me that he didn’t want to rekindle what he and Hassie had.
“Obviously, he’s into you,” Clover said as if she was reading my mind.
He could be attracted to me and still want to try again at everything he had with her. “We were just talking about…being more than pretend.”
Her squeal filled the other end of the line. “Seriously? Poppy, I’m so happy. He’s a really good guy.”
“He’s notmyguy.” I hadn’t gotten a chance to try and make him mine.
“Make him yours.”
“Sure.” Wasn’t one of my first lessons in love about how Jensen wasn’t mine?
“Poppy, you’re a competitive person. Make him yours.”
I was competitive in sports. I liked competing with Jensen, but not for him. “I’m not demeaning myself by putting on a show for a guy. Either he wants me, or he doesn’t.”
“No, I totally get it. Sorry. You shouldn’t have to make a guy notice you or love you. I’m just saying don’t give up on him. He’s into you, so don’t convince yourself he’s not just because you think Hassie’s hot.”
Hassie was the one I compared myself to. I never got self-conscious around women otherwise. I admired them. I also hadn’t grown up getting compared to them by the guy I was falling hard for.
“Yoo-hoo!” someone called from outside the house and the doorbell rang. “Anyone home?”
“Oh shit.” I hissed into the phone. “She’s here, and I’m not even out of bed.” I took the phone away from my face. “Oh my god. How did I sleep past ten?”
“Did Jensen wear you out on your date?” she teased.
Warm tingles spread over my body. I’d gone to bed smelling like him. I needed a shower and a beauty routine that included more than moisturizer with sunscreen.
The doorbell rang again.
I sat up and tugged my bonnet off. Where were Jensen and Auggie? “I’ve gotta go. Maybe I can sneak into the bathroom before she comes inside.”
I hung up without waiting for her goodbye. After flying out of bed, I ran around the room, grabbing clothing that was at least clean. I didn’t have anything that would rival Hassie’s shorts and clinging tee.
Another ding-dong resonated through the house. Where was everyone? And why did I sleep so late?
I swung the door open. The house was quiet. I snuck out to the living room. Hassie was peering through the window. She waved, a big grin on her face.
My hair wasn’t frizzed, thanks to the bonnet, but I hadn’t even combed my fingers through it. Shit. I couldn’t just leave her. But, oh, I wanted to.
I scurried to the door, opened it, and dashed backward as fast as I could go, aiming for the bathroom while hunching my shoulders because I didn’t have a bra on. “Sorry, I don’t know where the guys are.”
“Jensen’s pickup is outside.” Grocery bags hung in her hands. “I thought y’all would be awake by now.”
“Ah, late night.” I winced at the way it sounded. “Um, I’ll go clean up.”
“I figured I’d bring the ingredients and make something.” She set the bags on the island and sifted through them. “That’s why I’m early. I know how Jensen appreciates a homemade meal.”
Irritation prickled over my skin. “Sure.”
Jensen and I had taken turns cooking and sometimes we prepared a meal together. With the nicer weather, we did a lot of grilling. He liked the sounds I made when I ate, but he didn’t get that way when I cooked. Was that because no meal compared to a Hassie meal?
God, I was being ridiculous. I ducked into the bathroom and ran through the quickest shower of my life. I didn’t bother with more than towel-drying my hair. It already looked better than it had when I answered the door. The rush was taking my mind off Jensen’s ex-wife making him a homemade meal in the next room.
Hassie was humming in the kitchen when I flashed from the bathroom to the bedroom. While I was pulling my shorts on, I heard the front door open.
“Mom!” Auggie yelled.
