Page 56 of Fragile Touch (Fragile 1)
Cayden exhaled sharply
. “You can’t just say that, Lil. It sounds like you want to break up or something.”
“I don’t want to break up, Cayden. Ugh, fine, I’ll tell you now since you’re in a tizzy about it.” This was the moment. She said each word slowly, thinking hard before speaking. “I wanted to ask you about the silent tension between you and Andrew.”
He stayed quiet, keeping his eyes on the road.
“We don’t have to talk about it now. I just—”
“I don’t know, Lil. Actually, I do.” He was thinking just as hard as she was. “I know you and he go way back. He seems to be a little closer to you than that.” Before she could protest, he kept going. “It might be my imagination, or it might be my intuition. Maybe it’s a guy thing.”
Try to see things from his perspective for a minute, she told herself. “Okay, what gives you the idea that there’s something going on?”
“To be clear, I trust you when you say you don’t have any feelings for him.”
“That’s good, because I don’t.”
“I think what I’m picking up on is more of the subtle things. His body language when he’s around you. How he barely looks at me. I mean, Lil, he hasn’t asked basic questions or tried to get to know me at all.”
“I’m sorry, Cayden.”
“I was thinking that someone who’s close to you—like a brother, as you say—would’ve wanted to get to know their sister’s boyfriend. And because he’s acting cold, it makes me think he’s rejecting me because he likes you.” Everything came out all at once and he hardly took a breath. “I’m trying to be frank with you so there’s no miscommunication.”
Seeing him get riled up made her blood pressure rise. She put her hand on his neck and stroked him with her thumb. “I’m not mad. I wanted to ask you first.”
“Are you going to say something to him?”
“Do you think I should?” She wasn’t sure if he should know her plans yet.
“It’s up to you.” Cayden shrugged. “I don’t want to have a bad taste in my mouth, but I don’t know him like you do.”
She smiled cheekily. “I know something that can put a good taste in your mouth.”
His stern expression washed away in an instant. “Oh? What’s that?”
“Maybe you’ll have to stay over tonight to find out.” She stopped. “At least until midnight. That’s when my personal party starts.”
Stopping at a traffic light, he leaned over and kissed her hard on the mouth. His hands held her so firmly she felt chills go down her spine. “Don’t tell me. I want it to be a surprise.” With a wink, he propped an elbow on the window and continued driving.
Damn, how does he turn my body to jelly like that? It would forever be a mystery. She felt so small compared to him, but she loved it. “Get your mind out of the gutter.” She lightly punched him in the arm. “I was only going to make you a smoothie.”
They looked at each other with a secret, knowing smile. “I’d be willing to bet that a smoothie isn’t the only thing that’s going to be tasting good tonight.”
Lillian felt the heat rise to her face until she couldn’t contain it anymore. Sticking her head out the window, she let out a roaring laugh that expressed all the elation she had been holding inside. The air cleaned her lungs and cleared her head of all the stagnant hospital air. Something felt new in her mind, and she was certain that Cayden had a lot to do with it.
In a few minutes they pulled into her driveway. Andrew’s car was parked at the curb out front; Lillian saw Cayden look at it out of the corner of his eye.
“Remind me to mow your lawn again tomorrow,” he said. “The grass is getting long.”
Nodding, she took his hand and walked him inside. Andrew was on the phone so they stayed quiet until he hung up.
“Hey, guys,” he greeted. “Sorry, work call.”
“No problem,” Lillian responded. “Do you have to go back?”
He didn’t hear her. “You didn’t respond about dinner, so I got a couple of pizzas. I know you have that thing tomorrow so I got a plain cheese one for you.”
“Can you have cheese?” Cayden asked her quietly.
