I smiled to myself, subtly stretching the aches in my body.
Today had been a lot, but it had been good. It was late, full dark outside already. The cleanup had taken a while, but these pains weren’t punishing, just evidence of a day of meaningful work.
Once Cole was done editing the photos, Liem’s brother would put them on the website, and we’d start collecting dance card bids.
I went back to studying Adair, looking for answers to that weird look.
Cole took his laptop back to the couch and set it on the coffee table. “Addy, babe, can I move your crochet stuff?”
“Go for it,” Adair called back, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Get in a lot of crocheting today?” I asked, fishing for what might’ve happened between this morning and now.
“I finished the blanket for Rachel and Jillie’s baby. Then I started a new one.”
I hummed. “It’s a little obnoxious, you know.”
He frowned. “I thought you loved blankets.”
“Oh, I do.” More than he even knew, probably. “I mean that you look the way you do and act the way you do and alsocrochet.I keep waiting to come home and find you covered in Cheeto dust gaming or something else less attractive, but no. You crochet baby blankets.”
“Oh, I see,” he said, cheeks flushing despite his casual tone. “As Delly would say, you’re waiting for me to give you the ick?”
I must’ve pulled a face, because Adair chuckled. “I think we found it.”
I nodded. “That word is just awful.”
He chuckled, tapping his long fingers on the tabletop. “Noted, Indigo.”
My skin prickled and I shivered, almost like the feeling of a rabbit running over my grave, but without the accompanying dread. Adair’s gaze trailed down my arms. His eyes snapped back to mine when he saw the goose bumps.
It was annoyingly endearing how surprised he looked to have drawn such a reaction from me.
“I’m getting pretty tired,” I said slowly, pointedly.
“Yeah.” He pushed his hair back, then roughed it up, his bicep flexing. “Me too.”
I tilted my head toward the bedrooms, and his answering smile was slow, but then his gaze cut to Cole in the living room, who was laser-focused on his laptop.
I raised an eyebrow that I hoped communicated,“Your problem.”
He got right to his feet and walked carefully to Cole, and I slid past them to go into my bedroom.
Despite how tired I was, my heart raced in anticipation.
I was about to be alone with Adair.
My boyfriend, Adair.
God, I still didn’t know what it meant, but I was trying to just… trust it. To not question it to death, to not put demands on answers about the future.
I knew better than most not to do that. About anything.
I hurried into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. My hair was still teased and makeup still dramatic. I had to give the jean jacket back to Delly for the rest of the shots, but when she clocked how bummed I was about it, she told me it was a donation, so I could have it if I wanted.
And I wanted.
But not as much as the man who just walked into the other side of the bathroom.
