Page 54 of It's in the Contract
Zeke sets Mia down and woodenly crosses the room then kneels in front of me. I climb on top of his shoulders, and Zeke puts soft hands on my knees, holding me in place. I’m wearing ripped jean shorts, and my knees are bare. Zeke’s touch sends a shock that travels through my whole body. He stands, and I hold his head to give me an anchor. Zeke is surprisingly steady underneath me.
Now I’m level with the spider, shoe in hand, trying hard not to think of the way Zeke’s hands feel on my legs, the way his shoulders are firm under my thighs.
“A bit closer,” I say, straining to it.
Zeke shuffles forward.
“More,” I say.
“Callie,” Zeke says, fear edging his voice. “You cannot miss. It can’t . . . fall . . .”
“I get it,” I say. “Don’t worry. I got your back.”
Zeke squeezes my knees.
In one swift motion, I lift the shoe and slam it on the spider. The whack barely drowns out the crunch of its exoskeleton.
Zeke cries out and takes a quick step backward. I drop the shoe and grab onto his head for dear life, but we keep stumbling, falling, until we land back on the bed, Zeke’s head on my stomach, his hands on my legs.
Mia squeals, “You got it! You got it!”
Zeke clears his throat and hurries to stand, brushing off his clothes like they’re covered in spider germs. Or my germs?
I stand, too, feeling awkward. Zeke glances from the spider’s smashed body to me, and he pulls me in for an enormous hug, crushing me into his body. It’s a hug that takes my breath away. People would pay for hugs like this.
“Thank you, Callie.”
I put my arms around Zeke, wishing I wasn’t enjoying this so much. “It was nothing.”
“Definitely not nothing.”
I step away and clear my throat, willing my cheeks not to turn red. “I’ll clean it up. Don’t even worry.” I hurry to leave Zeke’s bedroom, heading down the hallway to the bathroom to grab some toilet paper. I pause and take a few deep breaths, staring at my flushed reflection in the mirror. What is happening to me?
When I get back to Zeke’s room, he’s staring at me with a look of awe.
“You’re like a spider warrior.”
I laugh. “It was nothing, Zeke. Really.”
He holds my gaze. “Not to me.”
When the spider guts have been taken care of, Mia shouts, “We need unicorn cookies!”
“Oh, no,” Zeke says. “Not right now, Mia Bia. Mama’s gone. There’s no one here to help us bake.”
Mia turns her huge brown eyes on me. “Miss Callie make unicorn cookies?”
Zeke looks at me, tilting his head. I purse my lips. I shouldn’t. We’re done tutoring, and Zeke’s parents aren’t even here to see that we’re “friends”. Who are we putting on a show for?
“All right,” I say.
“YAY!” Mia throws her arms up and knocks Zeke’s D&D board to the ground.
Miaand I get started in the kitchen while Zeke painstakingly fixes his set up. His brothers are getting online to play with him virtually later and it has to be “perfect”.
I’m sort of lost not being in my own kitchen, but Mia must’ve done this before, because she pushes a chair over to the gray and white Formica countertop and climbs onto the chair, pointing out where things are, like mixing bowls, measuring cups, flour, and sugar. She opens a drawer and digs through it until she finds an adorable tiny pink and brown apron, and I help her tie it on.
“AlexaplayMia’smix,” says Mia.
