I looked to Drake and felt my stomach twist with new worry at his grim expression. Hoping to tease him out of it, I said with a smile, "I bet you're really glad you came over, huh?"
When his expression didn't change, I explained, "That was a joke."
"If you say so." He let out a low scoff. "If you want me to leave, just say the word."
"No. That'snotwhat I want. Let's just hang tight, okay? They'll go to sleep eventually, right?" I motioned to the armchair by the bed. "Do you wanna sit?"
"Nope." And then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "Ifyouwant to, go ahead."
I bit my lip. "Actually…I thought I'd dash out there to see if anyone's around."
His gaze flicked to the bedroom door. "Be my guest."
I forced a laugh. "You're not gonna sneak off while I'm away, are you?"
"Notme." He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "I'm not a fan of sneaking."
Ouch.
In the end, I decided to stay put. I hunkered down with Drake in the bedroom for what felt like an eternity until the front door opened and shut yet again.
Soon, I heard Harper and Lexie talking as they clomped up the stairs to the second floor. The way it sounded, Lexie was coaxing Harper up to bed – and maybe scolding her just a little. When their voices faded, I let out a huge sigh of relief.
Finally.
When I smiled at Drake, he pushed away from the wall and said, "I'm gonna head out."
My smile faded. "Are you sure? I mean, things have finally settled down, so maybe we could start over?" I tried for another smile. "You know, pretend that none of this ever happened?" The words had barely left my lips when I heard footsteps coming down the stairsagain.
I cringed at the sound.Would this never end?
A moment later, I heard the front door open and shut for what felt like the millionth time.
Whoever it was, they were obviously leaving.Was that good or bad?
Drake asked, "You want me to use the door or the window?"
I asked, "Is that a joke?"
"I don't know," he said. "You tell me."
By now, I felt seriously under siege. "I know it's frustrating, but you don't need to make it sound worse than it is."
His eyebrows lifted. "So, the window then?"
"Oh, please. You don't need to climb out the window."
He gave me a hard look. "So I've got your 'permission' to use the door?"
I tried to laugh. "You don't need my permission."
"Oh, yeah? What if I want to walk out the front?"
"You mean the front door? Why would you? I mean, you came in the back."
He gave a stiff nod. "Right."
Suddenly, I felt like crying. "Are you breaking up with me."
