Page 187 of Just for the Plot

“Yeah, because I can stare now and not have you question me. Before, I was stealing glances; now I can look all I fucking want.”

Her head tilts to the side. “You really felt that strongly about me?”

“Bower, you have no fucking clue.” I chuckle. “Infatuated doesn’t even begin to describe it, but out of fear that I might scare you away, I think I’ll keep the obsession to myself.”

“Obsession?” She sets her pastry down and leans her forearms on the table. “Ooo, I’m intrigued, tell me more. Did you have a shrine? Keep my hair in a box? Collect my trash and sniff it before you went to bed?”

Deadpanning, I say, “I stopped the trash thing when I hit twenty.”

“Stop.” She laughs, making me chuckle as well.

“Nah, I just…I don’t know, I stole glances, I keep our pictures we’ve taken together in my favorites folder on my phone—”

“You do? Let me see.”

“Are you going to make fun of me?”

“No, I’m sure it’s going to make me fall for you even more.”

“In that case…” I scoot my chair out from the table and pat my lap. She comes over to me, where she sits and then kisses my cheek, wrapping her arm around my neck. In fucking heaven, I pull up my favorites album in my phone and show her all the pictures I have saved in there. It’s not many, but it’s kept me satiated.

“Oh, I remember the welcome home event in Almond Bay. You so did not want to be there.”

“Yeah, I don’t love events that are solely focused on me. Not a fan.”

“I could tell that day you were so not into it. But that was one of the first times I was caught off guard by how much you changed.”

“Yeah?” My hand falls to her thigh. “You noticed my muscles?”

“Just a little,” she says. “And then there was this picture that Gabby sent me, after visiting you, and I was shocked. You just changed so much. You weren’t the boy I first met.”

“So the truth comes out. You were obsessing too.”

She scoffs. “I wouldn’t say obsessing, but I would say I noticed things.”

“Pervert.”

“What?” she says in protest, making me laugh. “You’re the one with pictures of me in your phone.”

“You were the one lusting after a twenty-year-old.”

“Bennett,” she says, almost insulted as she starts to pull away. That makes me laugh some more. I hold her tight, not letting her get away.

“I’m kidding, babe.”

“I think it would benefit you greatly if you don’t mention the age difference. I’m already feeling like I’m a grandma here.”

I set my phone down and kiss her neck, letting my hand wander up her shirt. “There is nothing grandma about you, beautiful.”

She turns toward me, straddling my lap. “Better not be.” Her arms rest on my shoulders as she asks, “Did I see that I’m your wallpaper on your phone?”

“You did. Manifesting.”

She chuckles. “You really do like me, don’t you?”

“If I have to tell you, then I clearly did not do a good enough job worshipping you last night.”

“Oh, you did. You did such an excellent job.”