25. Wyatt
CHAPTER 25
WYATT
S tella checks her watch. “I shouldn’t stay out too late.”
“Of course not, but we need to have dessert,” I say. “I worked up an appetite running around that candy landscape.”
“I ate so much at dinner that I’m not sure I can eat dessert,” Stella says as she settles into the passenger seat.
“I made chocolate chip cookies.”
“And we have ice cream and hot fudge,” Cam adds.
She laughs. “Well, I certainly can’t pass that up.”
As we’re driving back to our house, Stella asks about our relationship histories.
“We’ve dated a lot, but nothing too serious or long term. We’ve been focused on growing our channel,” Cam says.
“Do you usually date women together?”
“This is the first time,” he tells her.
After a pause, Stella asks, “So why are you taking me out together?”
“Because we both like you,” I say, refusing to feel like a third wheel even though I’m in the back seat.
She turns and gives me a smile. “I appreciate not having to choose between you.”
After a couple of minutes of comfortable silence, Stella says, “I have something silly to confess. That morning when I first met you at the grocery store, I thought you were following me home. I thought you were some kind of creeps.”
“Well, technically, we were following you home, or at least close to your home,” I say.
Cam laughs. “Glad we made such a great impression on you.”
“As a woman, you can’t be too careful.”
“Yet we managed to lure you to our home with a trail of marshmallows,” I say.
At our house, we make hot fudge cookie sundaes. Stella’s is small, while Cam and I put several scoops of ice cream in our bowls. We take them into the living room to eat, and they’re good, but when I catch sight of Stella licking fudge from her spoon, I’m nearly too distracted to finish my dessert.
We don’t talk much as we eat, but all three of us are watching each other and saying things with our eyes.
At one point, Stella’s shoulders quiver.
I set my bowl down and put my arm around her, rubbing her shoulder. “Got a chill? Did the ice cream make you cold?”
I’m not sure she’s telling the truth when she says, “I guess so.”
I take her empty dish and set it on the table, then pull her to me, wrapping my other arm around her in a hug.
Then I pull the throw blanket from the back of the sofa and cover her with it. I settle her back against me so that her head is resting on my chest, and a sense of calm falls over me.
This is where she’s supposed to be.
I continue to rub the side of her arm and savor the nearness of her for several long minutes.
“I’d better not lie here like this, I might fall asleep.” Contrary to her words, she curls closer. Her body is relaxed, but when she looks up at me, her eyes are saying something else.
Cam gets up and moves next to her, sitting on her other side. “We can’t have you falling asleep on your date. You’ll think we’re boring.”
She shakes her head. “The last thing you are is boring.”
When he tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear and leans closer, she asks, “What are you doing?”
“It looks cozy over here. Thought I’d join you.” I expect to be bothered as he settles in beside her, but surprisingly, I’m not. Not as long as Stella’s still in my arms.
As he continues to toy with her hair, she says, “Remember. No kissing.” She sounds breathless.
“No kissing on the lips, right?” Cam touches a spot on her neck. “How about here?”
Sometimes my friend is so clever.