“I don’t think you’re capable of behaving.”
“Usually, there’s no need for it. Everyone loves me just the way I am. In all my fabulousness.”
I saw the three dots appear, then vanish, then appear again, like he was typing and changing his mind. I gnawed on my bottom lip. Had I pushed too far? It hadn’t been that bad, had it?
Finally, he replied. “Save some fabulousness for the rest of us.”
I grinned. At least he wasn’t mad at me. “My fabulousness shines on everyone around me, so you’ll just have to stick close to me.”
“5 am. No matter how tired you are. Your mouth got you in trouble again, Sunshine.”
Fuck.
“Uh, no? I mean, please no? I’m sorry for that?” Making me get up was about the only way to make me pull back.
“Is that a question or a statement?”
“What does it need to be so I can get up at a human time?” I bit my lip again. I wanted to go hiking with him, but not that early. I needed to be a bit more careful.
“Say you’re sorry. ;-)”
“Now you’re just mean!”Was that too much? No, not really, I hoped. But making me apologize?
“I think you really do want to leave at 5. You know that means getting up before 5 to make sure your fabulousness shines properly on the rest of us, right?”
He couldn’t be serious. There was no way I was getting up that early. I liked him, but I didn’t like him that much. I didn’t think I liked anyone that much.
“I’m not sure you’d want to even see me that early. But okay, I’m sorry.”I paused. What the hell was I even apologizing for. I scrolled back. Okay, I’d been mouthy again. All right. “I’ll try to behave, that’s the best I can do.”
“Good boy.”
Good boy. I didn’t even know what to say to something like that. My friend Micah would’ve been a drooling mess if someone had called him a good boy, but I wasn’t him.
“Did you have a heart attack because you had to apologize?”
I snorted. Leave it to him to ask something like that. “No, because you made me promise to try to behave. My heart can’t take that much stress.”
“Poor baby. If I tell you we don’t have to meet up until 7, will that help? I’d hate to kill you before we even start hiking.”
“Wait.”I reread his message. “BEFORE we start hiking?” He had to be joking, right? A hike was a walk, not some kind of marathon, or was I totally mistaken here?
“Well… you know, it all depends on your behavior. If you’re good, I’ll take it easy. If not… I’m sure I can think of something.”
I swallowed and rested my head against my pillow. What the fuck was up with him? He was more daring, somehow… getting more confident? I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was different. And it hit about all my buttons, damn him.
It wasn’t easy to ruffle me anymore, something I’d practiced a lot, but Kane? He just needed to drop a few words, for heaven’s sake, and I practically fell over my own feet.
And apologized.
“Uh-oh. Did I kill you for real this time?”
He’d killed my brain cells.
“Finn? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you or anything…”
“Sorry, I was just distracted. Yes, you killed me and now I can’t get up before dawn. Which means I’ll be ready around nine or so.”
“I don’t think that’s how heart attacks work, Sunshine.”