Nothing Feels Better (Better Love 3)

“What is this?” She laughs out, then comes back into the living room, sporting a smile that makes my chest tighten.

“At the risk of sounding like a total twelve-year-old,” I say jokingly, “I made you a playlist.” The text I’d sent her had the link to the playlist I’d thoughtfully curated over the last week. It’s eclectic and random, but every song was chosen for a purpose.

“Why?” she asks, smile still affixed on her lips, totally clueless. “Why make me a playlist?”

Why does a boy ever make a girl a playlist?I want to say. But I don’t. Because there’s just as much confusion swirling in her green eyes as there is delight. My passes have never been so easily ignored before. I’m not good at hiding my interest. I definitely haven’t been trying to hide it. But I must seriously be off my game because Jocelyn Calligaris might actually be oblivious to my attraction. Wild.

“Your list,” I say, and she arches an eyebrow in question. “Your to-do list to be a full person,” I clarify. “One of the things said ‘find my music,’ so I thought I would help. Give you some material to sort through.”

“Oh, wow,” she whispers. “Thanks.” I watch as she scrolls on her phone, thumbing through the titles. “I appreciate that.”

“I’d like to help with the rest of it,” I blurt, and she whips her eyes back to me. “With your list. I’d like to help you with your to-do list.”

It’s not until her face shows shock and embarrassment that I realize she’s probably thinking about the last item on the list—sex in all capitals with three exclamation points—and I can’t help the wicked grin that curls over my lips.

“I wouldn’t mind helping with that one either,” I drawl, and her breath hitches and face flushes as my statement sinks in.

Yeah, Classic. That’s right. I’m more than interested.

“I thought maybe we could take the camera Rox loaned you to the state park today,” I continue. “That hits two of your things, right?”

Jocelyn blinks.

“Photography and Being Active,” I explain, and her jaw drops.

“Did you memorize my list?”

I smile sheepishly and give a shrug. “I didn’t memorize it intentionally.” I bring my hands up by my ears and mime turning gears. “I have a selective memory but no say in the selection process. I have very little control over what makes it short term to long term storage.”

I say it jokingly enough, but it’s totally true.

It’s why, to my mother’s displeasure, I’m not fluent in Español. Why I can easily recite every bone in the human skeleton, but barely passed any of my history classes in high school. I could never keep the dates straight. My brain is fucking weird.

I watch Jocelyn bite her lip, then wring her hands together.

“You can say no,” I tell her. “If you don’t want my help, say no.”

She scrunches up her nose and purses her lips, and I laugh softly.

“If you’re worried about upsetting me, don’t be. I won’t be upset. But even still, my possible reaction shouldn’t dictate your response. Your feelings come first, Joss.”

The wave of emotions I watch pass over her features is fascinating. Uncertainty, concern, apprehension, surprise. And then finally, excitement.

“Okay,” she says with a nod, and her smile grows with mine.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Let’s go to the state park.”