I’m no longer jealous of Buttercream’s love for them, because I know once they start dressing him up and making him pose for photos, he’s going to dislike them again. Maybeit’ll help him realize how blessed he is to havemeas his caretaker. I would never do this to him. Okay, maybe the little Santa hat is adorable, but that’s where I would draw the line.
“How did this even happen?” I ask.
Zane presses his face back into view and answers, “Well, I ran into Wren yesterday at Tractor Supply while I was getting some puppy food. Oh, by the way, I’m getting a golden retriever puppy. Wren was getting some cat food, and so we struck up a conversation and ended up going to that new pet boutique across town to buy some of their pet supplies, and we saw these costumes. One thing led to another, and here we are, dressing up your cat.”
I shake my head, biting my lip to keep from smiling, because I shouldn’t show them approval for this crazy idea. I do love seeing the smile on Wren's face, the carefree laugh I hear from Zane, and I know I can’t be upset with them.
“Are you two…” I start to question but stop myself, letting them blink at me for a moment before what I’m implying hits them.
“Ew, no!” Zane shouts, and Wren gives him a slap on the arm. Somewhere in the background, I hear Edna cackle. “Ow!” Zane whines.
“What do you mean,ew?” Wren yells at him.
“I just meantew,as in you remind me too much of Olivia. I couldn’t date you because I couldn’t date her.”
“Oh, this is interesting,” Edna chimes in, popping into the screen again. She wiggles her gray brows at me before winking and returning her attention to Zane and Wren.
“Well, I wouldn’t date you either. You’re way too young for me.” She sticks her tongue at him.
“Well, so much for that idea,” I say, right as Edna says, “Dating a younger guy never bothers me.”
I hear Zane yelp. “You grabbed my?—”
“Things are getting out of hand over there,” I laugh.
“Yeah, I better try to get Edna to go home. She’s been overhere most of the day, and she’s starting to get frisky,” Wren whispers into the phone. “I’ll send you the photos of Buttercream later. Also, I might have broken your dishwasher. Okay, love you. Bye.”
She hangs up, and before I can react to what she just said, Luke finally walks into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. I shoot up from the bed to rush around it until I can stand in front of him. The rims of his eyes are red, his cheeks are flushed, and his expression is vulnerable, looking very much like the little boy I met when we were thirteen years old.
There are a few feet separating us, and we both stand in complete silence for a moment…me waiting for him to say something—anything, really—and him searching for something written on my face that I’m unsure of. I want to close the distance between us, but I don’t know what he needs in this moment.
“Luke, is everything okay?” I ask, clasping my hands together, watching as the sad little boy I saw moments before vanishes and is replaced with the joyful, fake-but-maybe-not-so-fake boyfriend I met over the weekend.
Luke rushes toward me suddenly, weaving his fingers through my hair, and I completely melt into him. He places a hand onto my hip to steady me before he replies, “Everything is perfect,” then he kisses me. The press of his lips speaks louder than words ever could. This kiss is fifteen years of promises, thank yous, I want yous, and I love yous that were never said.
What started out slow turns into something powerful. This kiss feels like lighting a match and watching something go up in flames. Luke’s fingers slide under the hem of my sweater, and the heat of his skin touching mine causes me to sigh against Luke’s mouth. He takes full advantage, kissing me harder, until we’re both gasping for air.
There is a piercing ping sound, and then another, that takes me longer than I’d like to admit to recognize as my phone. I try to ignore it as Luke’s lips leave a trail along my jawline, makingme giggle and squirm as he lands on the crook of my neck. He moves his free hand up my arm until it reaches my shoulder where he moves my sweater out of the way so he can let his lips touch my collarbone and slide across the sensitive skin there, as if he’s memorizing how it feels.
Then another ping fills the room, and we both freeze at the sound. I want to groan in a complaint and chuck my phone out the window. Because how dare whoever is sending me messages distract us from this incredible moment. Luke exhales, his hot breath hitting the skin along my collarbone and chest before he releases the hold he had on my sweater, letting it go back into place as he moves his face away.
“I’m sorr—” I whisper, but he stops me with a kiss. This one is gentle and short but leaves me breathless all the same.
“I probably need to stop now, or I never will,” he says, his voice gravelly.
I nod, my brain understanding, but my heart and body are screaming for him to continue. I tell my hormones to calm down as I inhale a breath of air and take a step away from his grasp. Space is smart for now, especially since he still hasn’t told me what happened between Davis and him. Or what has him strolling into our room and kissing me likethat.
“Nice pajamas.” He chuckles as he looks down at my outfit. “I’ve not seen these.”
He reaches out, his index finger and thumb squeezing against the soft cotton fabric that is covered in little mixing bowls, whisks, and different gingerbread cookies. I smile down at them before looking back at him as I go to say something, but my phone pings again.
I huff in frustration and walk over to my spot on the bed and grab my phone. I bring the screen to life, and a loud chuckle escapes me when I see the row of text messages from Wren with photos of Buttercream in his ridiculous costumes. I glance over at Luke and wave him over to the bed before I jump onto its cozy surface.
“Hang on, I’m going to get ready for bed,” he says before grabbing his things and making his way into the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes later, I have busied myself with saving all of Buttercream's photos, placing one as my phone’s background, and checking out the so-called ‘Catagram’ they created for him. When Luke opens the bathroom door, a puff of steam trails behind him, and I’m so distracted by how much I love seeing him with wet hair that I almost miss the pajamas he’s changed into.
Another laugh vibrates through me as I take in the full-body Grinch onesie he’s wearing. He tugs on the hood, which has the Grinch’s face on it, and on his chest is a little picture of the Grinch’s heart. He looks absolutely adorable.
