She had to play her part, of course I knew that, but even friends could miss each other. So, even though we might’ve not been a real couple, she could’ve at least missed me a little bit.
“I missed you, too,” I replied. “I’ll just go get my bag so we can leave, okay?”
22
ALANA
“Are you coming inside?” Eden asked, not yet even attempting to leave my car.
I thought he was going to rush out the moment the car stopped, then he’d take his bag and be gone. But nope. He was still sitting here, looking at me expectantly.
Was I supposed to go inside? I mean, I only picked him up because he said I had to in order to make our relationship seem more realistic.
“I think I’m good,” I replied, keeping my eyes on the street rather than him.
We’d barely talked the entire way to his place, and frankly, I was glad about it.
How was I ever going to talk to him again after what happened earlier? Normally, I mean.
I so wasn’t ready to be kissed. By Eden King, no less. He must’ve thought I was the world’s worst kisser, but he hadn’t yet said anything.
If I decided to go inside, he definitely would’ve mentioned something, and I wasn’t up to discussing my inexperienced ass tonight.
“Come on, Ally-Bear. We barely talked all weekend.” He reached a hand up to my face, turning my head so I’d look at him. For just a moment, his fingers lingered on my skin, his eyes holding mine so intently that I forgot how to breathe.
It was Saturday evening… The weekend wasn’t even over yet.
“You were gone,” I said. “And you texted me what felt like every other hour.”
He finally pulled his hand away from my body, dropping it onto his leg. “But texting isn’t the same as talking. My jokes don’t hit as good over the phone as they do in person.”
My eyes rolled. “You’re so full of yourself.”
He chuckled softly. “Well, someone’s got to be.”
“Got to be… full of you?” My eyebrows drew together in confusion. Unfortunately, I only realized what he was implyingafterI said it. “Oh, God.”
One side of his mouth tugged up into a smirk as he nodded at me. “I was trying to say ‘Someone’s got to be full of… jokes.’ Yes, jokes. But hey, if you want to be full of me, that’s cool, too.”
I let out an awkward laugh, feeling my face flush with embarrassment. “I think I’ll pass.”
Somehow, Eden saying something remotely sexual pulled not a single genuinely negative reaction out of me, like Austin’s words had. It was odd, wasn’t it?
God, I still had to tell Eden about it.
Eden leaned back against the car seat, his gaze softening as he looked at me. “You’re missing out, just saying. Anyway, are we really going to sit out here all night?”
Glancing at his apartment building behind him, I hesitated.
Nobody was around us anymore. Eden and I didn’t have to hang out, and we never did before. The only times I was at his place or he was at mine was because I was teaching him how to bake.
Our relationship didn’t go beyond baking lessons and play-pretend for others in public. And, alright, sometimes he’d come over to my place and put some outfits together, but that was it.
But as I sat there, staring at him with his messy, blond hair and those hopeful green eyes, a part of me refused to even entertain the idea of kicking him out and driving off.
Part of me wanted to see what it would be like if we were real—real friends, real partners, real… something. Even if it was just for an evening. For a stupid talk in his apartment while neither of us was covered in flour and icing.
With a sigh, I finally unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the car door. “Fine. I’ll come in for a bit,” I said, looking at Eden with a hint of uncertainty.