Cooper eyes our food from the side of the room. He makes a half-hearted attempt to move closer, but changes his mind, lays his head on his paws, and falls asleep.
“I didn’t know you liked scary movies,” Colter whispers, causing wonderful, awful things to happen to my body, things that his family shouldn’t be around for. I want him to move, but I love hearing his soft, low voice in my ear.
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know,” I say, using his words against him.
I feel the laugh vibrate in his chest before it bubbles up to his mouth. He grabs a piece of pizza and shoves the sagging bottom into his mouth.
I grab a piece, fold it in half, and take a small bite. I’ve never liked eating around people I don’t know. I always worry about food spilling on me, or having something stuck in my teeth all night. But I’m starving.
A couple of hours later, I’m full of pizza, popcorn, and a pound of these scrumptious homemade chocolate-covered cranberries that are pretty much my crack. I groan. “The next time I come over, you’re going to have to roll me out after all this food.”
Colter laughs along with Atticus and his girlfriend, Grace. I learned her name during an impromptu quiz on horror movies Colter’s sister, Alice, had. Colter’s mom has left and retreated somewhere else and the twins have gone to bed. Alice is curled up on the couch with a multi-colored crocheted blanket covering her. Jamie Lee Curtis screams on the screen and Alice jerks, but stays asleep. Atticus looks nervous sitting next to Grace, like he wants to put his arm around her. I wonder if he’s been thinking about it for hours.
I catch his eye and I mouth, Do it, gesturing toward her.
He wipes his hands on his jeans and takes a deep breath. Grace has no clue; she’s leaning in watching the movie intently. He looks at me again and I give him an impatient glare.
He quickly moves his arm up like he’s stretching.
I roll my eyes and shake my head.
He brings his arm down around her shoulders. He doesn’t see her expression, but her eyes widen and the smallest hint of a smile spreads across her face. She leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
It’s so cute I want to take a picture so I can remember it. Clueless Colter missed the whole thing. This is something Atticus and I have alone, and that makes me feel important, even if it’s just for a moment.
I lean back and curve my head into Colter’s neck. He places his chin on my shoulder and kisses it. He slowly raises his lips to my neck and trails kisses up to my ear. “I wish my brother and sister weren’t in this room right now,” he whispers.
Chills break out on my skin. He traps my ear in his mouth and sucks lightly. Cold heat pools everywhere. I lean into his kiss and the tension crescendos until I can’t take it any more. I twist my body so I’m facing him and press my lips to his. The kiss ignites something in me I’ve never felt before. My hands are all over him and his are on me and I want him. Jamie Lee Curtis screams again on the screen and the light flicks on and it’s like we’re cockroaches scattering. Atticus moves away from Grace with a guilty expression that matches my own. Colter’s the only one who looks unfazed. He’s still staring at me like I’m the wind and the stars and the sun.
Mrs. Sawyer, on the other hand, is staring at me like I’m hellfire and brimstone and death. “I think it’s time for you to go home,” she says looking down at me.
Colter doesn’t let me go. “We weren’t doing anything wrong,” he snaps.
“Atticus? Grace’s mom is going to be here in ten minutes. Can you please find her things and get her on her way?”
A sleepy Alice has awoken from her nap. “What’s going on?” she asks.
“Mom’s being Mom,” Colter says.
Alice rolls her eyes. “Mom, he’s eighteen. Do you really think he’s going to listen to you anymore?”
Mrs. Sawyer fumes, gritting her teeth hard. “Alice, this is none of your concern.”
“You didn’t care when his old girlfriend was here and you caught them more than once. Lighten up,” Alice says.
I move slowly away from Colter. He’s been caught before with Kirstyn. Of course he has. They dated. I’m out of my element here. He grabs for me, but I move away. He looks up at his sister. “Thank you for reminding me of that, and Ell, too. I’m sure she loves hearing about my old girlfriends.”
Alice bites her lip. “Shit, I’m sorry, Colt.” She looks at me and smiles. “He never looked at her like he looks at you, though.”
Mrs. Sawyer is still standing with her arms folded across her chest. “That’s enough. Ellery? I’ll walk you to the door.”
Colter stands up and faces his mom. “It amazes me how rude you can be.” He grabs my hand and pulls me out of the room. I grab my coat and gloves and make a bee-line for the door. He places a hand on the door and twists me around toward him. “Don’t listen to her. It’s me that this is really about.” He cradles my cheek in his hands. “Okay?”