Which is why we’re lying naked in my bed, wrapped up in blankets, watchingBones. His fingers are trailing lazily up and down my exposed back, our legs are intertwined, and my head rests on his chest.
“Booth’s totally into her.” Zeke’s hand stops just for a moment before continuing its lazy motion. “Like, why can’t he just admit it?”
“Given that we’re only on the fourth season, I have a feeling we got a little longer before we can expect those two to be in a relationship.”
We both stare at the screen as the credits disappear from the last episode, and a new episode starts. I recognize the episode immediately and jump off of Zeke’s chest.
“Oh, this is a good one!”
He sits up, eyeing me, and then looking at the TV.
“Excuse me?”
Oh, shit.
“I mean… it looks like a good one?” He crosses his arms, and I bite my lip. “I may have watched a few episodes while you were gone.”
“How many is a couple?”
“I’m like halfway through season five,” I whisper.
“Halfway through season five?!That’s what you constitute as a couple of episodes?! And you’ve been letting me think you’ve been so good at guessing the killer these last few episodes, but it’s because you’ve seen them!”
“I’m sorry.” I shrug.
“We’re supposed to watch this together, Stewart. I could’ve watched it during our bus rides or while I was chilling in the hotel, but I didn’t because—”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I was just missing you, and I was gonna watch one episode, and then one turned into two, and next thing I knew, I was too far in to quit.”
He stands up, shaking his head, and pulls on his sweats as I pull his Rockford Hockey T-shirt over my head.
“Wow. You think you know someone, and then your girlfriend lies to you about watching the show you’re supposed to watch together.”
He pulls his shirt over his head while I stare at him. Did he just say what I think he just said?
“What did you just call me?” I crawl over to the side of the bed he’s standing on and watch his shoulders tense when he realizes what he just called me. I run my hands over his shoulders to try and relieve the tension, and then he turns and looks at me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Did you call me your girlfriend?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Will it ring a bell if I told you I didn’t hate it?” I play with a loose thread on the hem of my shirt, and that smug smile of his decides to make an appearance.
“Oh yeah? You wanna be my lady?”
“If you don’t call meladyagain, I might consider it.” My hands dangle over his shoulders as his calloused fingers meet the soft skin above my butt.
“Did I change your stance on relationships, Avalon Stewart?”
“I think you changed my stance on relationships a long time ago, Zeke Harris. I was just waiting for you to realize this was no longer a friend-with-benefits situation.”
“Acquaintances.” He jokes, and I push off his chest, rolling my eyes, but he pulls me back and kisses me. It’s soft, but I feel the heat it causes throughout my body. “And just think how much better these benefits will be now that you’re my girlfriend. There’s a whole side to Zeke Harris you’ve yet to witness.”
“What are you waiting for?” I question, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. “Show me.”
Did I see your mom here yesterday?” Zeke turns on the shower. “I could’ve sworn I saw her leaving when I pulled up.”