Page 26 of Beautiful Crazy

“Uh, maybe you should consider a change of plans for tonight?”

Mrs. Chesney lays a hand on her chest and steps near the door. “Oh, my Heavens, have you ever seen something so beautiful?”

Emily and I look outside, shocked to see so much snow. She looks at me wide-eyed.

“I didn’t even know we were supposed to get snow tonight?”

I shake my head. “I didn’t either. Forecast was clear this morning.”

“Welcome to winters in Kentucky though, am I right?” Mr. Chesney jokes. He shuts the door as Emily turns to me. “Twenty four percent of all weather-related crashes occur on slushy, icy, or snowy pavements annually.”

Though I’m confident in my driving ability even in harsh winter weather - thanks to my Dad - even I know when to say uncle to Mother Nature and this is definitely one of those times. It’s way too dark outside and our small town doesn’t have all the road crews that Louisville has. It’s not worth the risk.

“Yeah, I guess we can stay here tonight and go back tomorrow. I need to do a tux fitting anyway. Maybe if the roads are good in the morning, I can call Beckham and just take care of that tomorrow while we’re still here. What about Lola?”

“April’s only one apartment building over. How about if I text her to stop in and feed her? Make sure she’s okay. Worse comes to worst, I’m sure she would take Lola to her place for the night.”

I nod. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“It’s settled then!” Mrs. Chesney claps her hands. “You two may as well take Emily’s old room since Wes and Jenny are in Wes’s old room. I’ll grab some extra blankets. And there are brand new toothbrushes in the bathroom cabinet. Please help yourselves.”

Wes and Jenny give Emily and I that look that says, ‘Oh shit, you guys aren’t really a couple and now you’re forced to sleep together.’ But I don’t mind at all. It’s not like we’ve never slept in the same bed together before.

“Thank you, Mrs. Chesney.”

After another cup of cocoa, this time with a shot of whiskey, and a rousing game of Euchre with Wes and Jenny, Emily’s parents have turned in for the night and Emily and I are the last ones up. I follow her into her bedroom and take a minute to look around, marveling at the young nerd that she was.

Her walls are painted a light blue trimmed in white. In one corner of the room sits a comfy over-sized chair, and in the middle of the room is a bed that I’m guessing is only full sized because it looks much smaller than my king-sized bed and even smaller than Emily’s queen size. In the opposite corner from the oversized chair, next to the window, is an Orion Astroview ninety-millimeter telescope. Surrounding it on the walls are framed pictures of the moon and a few planets, as well as several gold, silver, and blue ribbons. Awards won as a child.

“You were into the moon as a kid?” I ask her.

“Yeah. I had plans to work for NASA one day.”

“What changed?”

“Uh…” She chuckles. “My hormones, I guess.”

A quiet laugh escapes my lips. “What do you mean by that? Girls can’t work for NASA?”

“No, it’s not that. I was a complete science geek up until high school and then my love of reading just sort of…took over. I mean, I had to read a lot for school assignments, you know. Like, the classics. But I started reading more and more fiction books and I just felt connected to the literary world and knew I wanted to be a part of it. So once my senior year of high school came around, I looked into marketing and publishing fields and…” She shrugs. “Now here I am.”

“You never thought about writing books? Becoming an author yourself?”

“No, not really. I guess I never thought I would be good enough to put an actual story together. And who would read my bullshit fantasies anyway?”

I turn away from admiring the telescope and take in the beautiful girl standing on the other side of the room. Her skinny jeans cling to her curves, leaving all kinds of thoughts running through my head, and the lilac-colored scoop-neck sweater she’s wearing is perfect against her pale skin. Her honey brown hair is pulled back in a loose hanging ponytail, her soft ringlets hanging down her back, and her big brown eyes stare at me from across the room with that come-get-me look that I don’t even think she knows she gives off, but fuck does it drive me wild. sometimes.

“I would read them. You’re an amazing human, you know that?”

She’s more than that. She’s amazing and beautiful and compassionate and funny…and fun. Those are two different things.

“Nah. I’m just plain old me,” she answers. I step across the room and tip her chin up with my fingers. Her breath hitches and that sound she makes has me dying to kiss her senseless and touch her in ways that aren’t platonic and friendly.

“Emily Chesney, you are so much more than plain old you. Do you hear me? You are so…much…more.”

She wraps her arms around me, burying her head in my chest. “Thank you, Emm.” I kiss the top of her head and hold her in my arms for as long as she lets me, which isn’t long.

“Shoot.” She backs away from me turning toward her dresser with a hand on her hip. She pulls out an empty drawer and then pushes it closed and does the same with the remaining three drawers.

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