Page 87 of The Love Dare
Goddammit.
His arm is a freaking vise. She’s never been able to get out of this stupid hold, which is probably why it’s always been his go-to countermaneuver. “Alex, so help me god, I?—”
“Stop,” her mom cuts in. “Stop it, both of you! You are two grown adults, and you are acting like children.”
Fair point.
“But Mom, he?—”
“But Mom, she?—”
“I said, stop it!” She yells this time, proving just how annoyed she is, because it takes a lot for Yetta Rusu to lose her cool in public, and an audience of millions is about as public as it gets.
Winnie peeks up at her mom from where she’s dangling like a hooked fish in Alex’s arms.
Yup.
Yetta is eying the camera, and she’s furious.
Crap.
“Sorry, Mom,” they both mumble, coming to a simultaneous realization. Alex cautiously puts her down—with a subtle stink eye. Winnie fixes her shirt—and discreetly sticks out her tongue.
Their mother sighs. “Why do I even bother?”
“Sorry,” they both say again, actually meaning it this time.
But it’s being back in this house. It’s talking about the past. It’s a lifetime of memories. Winnie walks through the front door, and it’s as if ten years immediately evaporate off her life. She forgets how to do laundry. She forgets how to cook. She fights with her brother. In her heart, she’s fifteen again. And?—
Wait.
Fifteen again.
Winnie glances at Alex. He looks over at her. Both of them are back to being irresponsible teenagers, caught in some sort of trouble, stuck inside while their parents went outside totalk.
“The laundry room.”
They say it at the same time and take off running. With his longer legs, he’s first to the door, but Winnie is right behind. Alex hops onto the washing machine, his usual position, while Winnie pulls open the dryer and drops to the floor.
“What are you two doing?”
They whip their heads around to where their mother peers skeptically through the door. “Shh!”
“What—”
“SHH!”
Their motherhmphs but quiets down. Almost immediately, two deep voices emerge from the silence. Before Winnie can make anything out, their mother gasps.
“You could hear us!?”
“Yes,” Winnie admits softly, sharing a quick look with Alex, both of them fighting smiles. “I figured it out by accident when I was doing laundry one night.”
“And she obviously told me,” Alex interjects.
“Becauseyouwere the one in trouble, as per usual.”
“Andyoulove me.”
