Walking over to the fridge, I see that it’s fully stocked. Putting some veggies in the oven to roast, I grab the piece of salmon she has and slice some lemons to put on it. After seasoning the salmon with salt and pepper, I put it in the oven. It’s almost five thirty, so she should be home soon. I walk over to the living room and turn on the television as I wait for her.
My eyes roam around the room, seeing how she has already settled in. Her touches are everywhere, just like she did at my house in Montreal. It’s the soft touches with a blanket here and there. Pictures left in a frame on the counter. It’s the tray with all the remotes in it instead of just thrown on the couch. I smile as I get up, going to the oven and seeing that it’s past six.
I’m about to grab my phone and call her when I hear the front door. I grab the salmon out of the oven and look over my shoulder when I hear the click of her shoes coming closer to the kitchen.
I can hear her talking to Mac. “Look at you, my pretty girl. Did you have a good time today?” I smile as I hear her heels moving toward me again.
The minute I see her walk into the room, my heart starts to speed up, and the smile fills my face. She looks so beautiful. “Hi,” she says, walking in and going to the fridge. “It’s so hot out.” Grabbing a water bottle, she opens it and drinks it.
“It’s a scorcher,” I tell her. “I hope you are hungry. I made salmon.”
“Oh.” She looks at me, and her eyes go big. “I ate already.”
“You ate already?” I ask, confused. “It’s six.”
“Yeah, I had a late lunch.” She avoids my eyes, and I just look at her.
“Did you have a date?” My stomach starts to clench and my heart speeds up as I wait for her to answer. What in the actual fuck is the only thing I can think. That, along with the thought of her on a date, and I have this sudden anger that goes through me, this blinding rage, and all I can do is look at her as she walks around the counter without answering my question. Why isn’t she answering my question? “Oh my God, you were on a date.” I try to get my voice to come out calm, surprising even myself when I don’t shout out the words.
I watch her sit on the stool in front of me. The whole time, my hands clenching into fists, and I have to take a second to think about what I’m going to say if she actually tells me she was on a date. I also have to take a second to think about why the fuck it bothers me so much.
Chapter 8
Alex
“Oh my God, you were on a date.” His voice is high-pitched, and I ignore the question altogether. I look up at him, and everything in me stops, the tightness in my chest starts again. After I had lunch with Julia, I decided it would be good to stay out as long as I could. I hit up the mall and shopped and bought things I don’t even know if I’m going to wear. To be honest, I went all-out sexy, as if I was going on a mating vacation instead of a family vacation. I try to talk, but my mouth is so dry I can’t even swallow. “You were on a date.” He puts his hands on his hips, and I’m about to answer him when his phone rings. He looks over at the couch, and I watch him walk toward the phone, and my heart speeds up.
“Saved by the bell, my girl,” I say to Mac, who sits beside me, wagging her tail. “Did you eat?” I ask, and look over at Dylan when he laughs at the top of his lungs.
“Okay, fine,” he says to whoever is on the line. “We can go but early. There is no way I want to be out in this heat.”
I walk over to get Mac some food and then turn back to look at Dylan, who is still on the phone, his eyes bright and his smile big. His free arm reaching behind his neck is making his arm flex. I watch him longer than I should. Turning my eyes away from him, getting Mac food, I put food in her bowl, and walk over to the stairs, taking off my heels finally. When I walk back into the kitchen, he puts the phone on the counter. “Everything okay?” I ask him, watching his every single move. I’m waiting for the feeling of looking at him and not feeling anything. When I walked in the room today, I expected to just laugh loud at the stupidity of falling for him, but instead all I could do was watch him watching me.