A knock sounds on my door. “Maize, are you up?”
I push Christian so hard he falls off the side of the bed with a thump, and I grab my book and toss it to the floor. My door creaks open and I pull my blankets up to my chin.
“Everything okay? I thought I heard voices and then a bang.”
“I, uh, fell asleep with my book, it must have fallen off the bed.”
Oh, Maize how easily the lies are coming now.
“Did you need something?”
“I didn’t mean to wake you. I thought you were up, and I wanted to let you know my shift got changed. I have to go in early tomorrow, but that means we can have dinner tomorrow night. Why don’t you see if Ryan wants to come over, then we can all watch a movie or something?”
“That sounds like a great plan.” I stretch to give her the hint.
“Okay, you get back to sleep. I’m off to bed in a few minutes too.”
“Night, Mom.”
“Night, love.”
My door clicks shut and I lay there for a second until her footsteps are down the hall. I lean over the bed and find a stark-naked Christian on his back, his hands covering his manly parts. “Sorry,” I whisper and cover my mouth to stifle a chuckle.
“You don’t look sorry. You look like you’re laughing and I nearly flashed your mother.”
I grab my shorts and shirt and tug them on. “Here, get dressed.” I toss his clothes to him.
He dresses quickly and I sit on the bed crossed legged to watch him. “I feel like I’m back in high school,” he grumbles.
“Got caught in a lot of girls’ beds, did you?”
He gives me a playful wink. “Who says I got caught?”
“Then the part about being in a lot of girls’ beds is true?” Damn, I hate the jealousy racing through me. The floor creaks again, and I walk quietly to my window. I turn and he tugs me to him, planting a very possessive kiss on my mouth. He kisses me hard, long and deep. It steals my breath and sets fire to my last working brain cell.
“What was that for?” I ask.
“When you’re hanging with Ryan tomorrow, that kiss is what I want you thinking about.”
There’s something in his eyes, something soft and sincere, and it hits me in the chest, a little to the left. I am so completely in love with Christian.
“We’re just friends.”
“Yeah, with a guy that looks like Ryan-freaking-Reynolds.”
He’s jealous. I’m sure of it, and I love it. I tap my chin. “Do you think?”
He gestures with a nod to my bed and cracks his knuckles. “Yeah, I think. Keep him out of that bed.”
“Sometimes we sit on it, Christian.”
He angles his head, his blue eyes a deeper shade. “Are you trying to provoke me?”
A door closes in the hall. “You have to go.”
He grumbles, and throws one leg out the window. “Text me after the dinner and movie.”
“Why, are you planning to sneak into my room again?”
He frowns and glances down. “I won’t be able to. Dad is getting home tomorrow and I’m expected to go to a family dinner.”
“That sounds nice, Christian.”
“Yeah, we’ll see. Then Saturday there’s this…” He blinks and lifts his head. “Doesn’t matter. Are you going to miss me?”
“Terribly.”
“Good,” he says and slides out the window. He curses and I laugh, assuming he landed on one of the prickly bushes. I watch him hurry to his Jeep and climb in, and my body tingles all over, his touch still burning through my body.
My phone pings, and I jump on my bed and reach for it and read the text from Christian.
Still thinking about me, aren’t you?
Maybe.
Why are you so obsessed with me?
Must be that first-born quality we both have.
Ah, yes, the reason we could never work out.
I stare at his message for a long time, not really knowing what to make of it. Is he reminding me this is just sex? Or is he waiting for me to jump in and tell him it’s not true? As I sit and overthink it, wondering what it was he started to tell me about Saturday night, and then changed his mind, another message comes in.
I had a really nice time tonight, Maize.
Yeah, me too.
Check your dresser.
Having no idea what he’s talking about, I jump up and go to my dresser to find a little baggie with cookies.
Grandma’s famous cookies. Now go get some sleep. See you soon.
My heart beats wildly at the sweet gesture as I set my phone down, knowing sleep is the last thing I’ll be getting tonight, even though I need to be bright and sharp tomorrow for my interview. No, I’m going to lay here and go over the events of tonight a million times, especially the jealousy I heard in his voice and his reminder that ‘only children’ aren’t compatible. I know we both started out in different places, but we’ve grown and changed, and tonight, I really sensed he wanted the same things I do. Then again, I can’t forget Ryan’s reaction when Christian first dropped me off. He was floored when he realized it was Christian, and after he drove off, he gave me a good hard lecture about the rich kids from the right side of the tracks and how I should never trust them because I’d only end up hurt.
Can I trust Christian?
My stomach tightens. I was going to wait to talk to him on the drive home—figure out if we had a future together—but maybe I’d better do it sooner rather than later.
23
Christian
With voices rising up from downstairs, I sit on the edge of my bed and quickly send Maize a text, and the pictures of my room I promised her. It was late last night when I got home and I didn’t want to send them and wake her.
I really want to see her, desperately, but Mom’s party is in full swing, and I’m expected to be
