Page 36 of Two Is Better Than One

I had prepared for his arrival. I had brushed my teeth and combed my hair, and I pulled back and smiled at him, trying my best to win him over. Casey kissed me. He knew I wanted him to, and he leaned in and let his mouth touch mine. He pulled back just far enough to lick his lips, look at me, and do it again. I held onto him tightly, feeling desperate. He pulled my body against his as he kissed me again.

The kiss was gentle but it was clear that he wanted me by the way his hand kept a firm grip on my back. I wanted more, but our mouths made contact that was soft and light. I touched the sides of his face, and my fingertips fell on the long hair on the side of his face. Everything about him was just too good. I was so thankful for these brief seconds alone before our day would be full and we would have no privacy.

"Come here," I said. I pulled him over to one of the couches that lined the side of the living room. It was a smaller loveseat in a nook, and it wasn't clearly visible from the door nor from Allie's hallway. "If we sit here, we'll have time to get up when either of them comes back in."

I pointed to the couch, and Casey flopped comfortably in the corner of it, splayed out and taking up almost the whole thing. I carefully went to sit on his lap, and he changed his posture, shifting and pulling me in. I curled up like an egg, holding my knees, and he held onto me, taking me onto his lap, into his arms. He kissed my neck and cheek playfully, and I leaned into him, letting him do it. I felt his stubble on my skin, and it made me feel like I was riding a rollercoaster. I laughed, feeling giddy.

"My sister stayed all day over at your dad's house yesterday."

"I know. I heard. I went over there to see AJ this morning, and he told me."

"How is he?"

"He's better this morning. He went out to break a sweat. It looks like he lost about ten pounds, but I told him he needed it after how much bulking he's been doing at that job."

Casey smiled, and I furrowed my eyebrows. "Allie was worried about someone doing that to him on purpose," I said. "It made me worry, too. Should we try to find out?"

"I took care of it," he said.

"What's that mean?"

"I mean, it wasn't anyone messing with AJ's food. I made sure."

"How did you make sure?" I asked, pulling back to stare at him.

"I talked to people. I found the guy with earrings and asked him nicely to tell me about the conversation in the kitchen that day."

"And it was all good?" I asked.

Casey smiled. "Yes, it was all good," he said.

I could tell there was more to the story that he wasn't sharing, but I could also tell that he was being sincere about there being nothing to worry about.

"So, it was just a coincidence that AJ got sick?" I asked, clarifying. "And you know this for sure?"

"Yes. I went over there. I talked to people myself. It was a coincidence."

He was so sure and confident that I believed him. I felt a new level of comfort and safety with Casey. He was a force to be reckoned with, and he was on my side.

"You're my hero for going over there and talking to people. That's going to make my sister feel so much better."

"You're my hero for that making me your hero." He made a face like he hoped he was saying that correctly. "What I'm saying is that I love it that you're always thinking about other people. We have all of three minutes together right now, and you're asking me about AJ and your sister."

"Do you think AJ and Allie…" I trailed off before finishing my question, but he knew what I meant.

"Yes," he said. "I don't know about Allie, and I don't know if anything happened between them, but AJ feels something for her, for sure."

"I'm telling her," I said.

"Don't tell her," he said.

"What if she likes him back, and they never do anything about it?"

"Then that's for the best. You guys are leaving anyway, and Miami's not even his permanent home. He'll be going back to Chicago."

I was carried away thinking about young love, and possibilities, and the way Casey casually dismissed it made me feel disappointed.

"What about us?" I said. "Is that going to happen to us, where I just go back to Charleston, and you stay here, and we just casually never see each other again?"

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