Page 90 of Oblivion

Chuckling, I pointed to the freezer. “Pop Tarts are in there. Knock yourself out.”

“I will,” she sang.

While I knew Penny put up a front, her attempt to shift her mood was admirable. Having said that, I wouldn’t make light of her being upset. It was validated after what she’d been through.

Food and drinks in hand, we made our way to the living space nestled under the mezzanine floor. I set everything on the coffee table and threw myself onto the couch, then plucked up the remote.

Penny waited for me to stop moving about, then went to join me. I stopped her mid-sit.

“Uh, there is actually a rule about eating syrup on the couch.”

She glanced over her shoulder, eyes narrowed. “Are you serious?”

“Kinda. Just don’t get syrup on it and I’ll be happy.”

“I’ll be sure not to eat like a little kid.”

I chuckled when she rolled her eyes and sat her booty down.

“Anything in particular you want to watch?”

She shook her head. “Just something I don’t have to concentrate on.”

While she ate her Pop Tarts, I scrolled through Netflix in search of the perfect show to binge the day away. I was still scrolling by the time she set the empty plate on the coffee table and relaxed back into the cushions with a content sigh.

“Good?”

She smiled in a satisfied, crazy-cute kinda way. “Yeah. I am now.”

As if my movements were entirely out of my control, I lifted an arm and beckoned her closer.

“C’mere, Lemon Drop. Let’s hang.”

“While cuddling?”

“Guess so. Now get your booty over here and make yourself comfortable.”

She scooted across the middle couch space and tucked herself against my body. I was a fool to think it meant nothing, that this was purely platonic and her nestled close wouldn’t affect me in ways it shouldn’t.

Yeah, I was a goddamn fool to think she wouldn’t feel like she was made for me, and that this wasn’t where I wanted her to stay.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX

Dante

The next morning, after my alarm went off at five-thirty, Ifinallymanaged to coax Penny to the gym. It took twenty minutes to convince her to get her ass in the elevator, then another ten to work out with me. Which failed.

She’d spent the last forty minutes lying on the weights bench, only moving when I needed to use the press. And, turned out,she was drinking my damn protein shake when I wasn’t looking.

I shook the near-empty shaker and glared at her. “You realize that you’re only meant to have this stuff if you’reworking out,right? And before you say it, watching someone else work outdoesn’tcount.”

She gave me a look of complete innocence. “It’s surprisingly yummy, though.”

I almost spat out the final mouthful as I balked at her. I swallowed and wiped the back of my hand across my mouth.

“I know!”

She rolled to her feet and set her hands on her hips, looking bored as hell. “Are we done working out?”

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