Chapter 26
Am I freaking the fuck out that Demi is in my kitchen, eating my omelet, and peeling my oranges? You bet I am.
What a whirlwind morning it’s been, but I somehow feel like I must’ve done something right in my lifetime to be experiencing this.
A year ago, I would’ve done anything to spend time with Demi.
I’ve been hopelessly, pathetically, crazy about her since the day I laid eyes on her, and any time I thought the feelings would pass or subside, that day just never came.
“I wouldn’t last five seconds in an ice bath…you must be crazy.” She chuckles to herself, a delicate hand covering her mouth as she chews.
“It’s really just the initial moment. You get in and you’re immediately thinking this sucks, get me out. But once you get past the first few seconds your body adapts. There are a ton of benefits to ice baths.”
“Well, I believe you, but I know myself. I’d get in and hop out immediately.”
I lift my shoulders in a shrug. Maybe one day I can convince her to take a dip in mine.
We both finish our omelets, and she leans back in the barstool as she crosses her leg over her knee.
“So, what are your plans today?” I ask, pulling our plates into the sink and leaning my back against the counter.
Her arms cross over her chest, and I subconsciously mimic the motion.
“I have today off, so…” she says, leaving her sentence open-ended.
“Me too.”
We hold a stare for a few moments. A Yellowcard song streams in the background from my phone near the fridge, and I find myself internally toying with the idea of asking her to hang out. No expectations. Nothing unsavory. Just time together.
If I’m being honest with myself, that’s really all I’ve ever wanted with her. More time to get to know her. To see what makes her tick, what makes her happy, to know what fills her cup, and even things that make her see red. I know there are layers to Demi outside of what she lets people see.
And I don’t know if I’m right—I hope I am—but I just feel like she might let me in.
“Well, how do you feel about being off today—together?” I hold my breath at the end of that sentence.
“You want to spend your one day off with me?”
I push myself off the counter and circle the island, bringing myself to her side. God, I fucking love her hair like this. Her face. Her dimples when she smiles, and the depth in her eyes under those dark brown eyelashes.
“Dem, if I had only one hour off, I’d want to spend it with you.”
Her gaze on me softens, and I see the tiniest sliver of hope behind her eyes. She moves off the barstool, both hands clasping together in front of her as she fidgets for a moment.
“Sure,” she finally says as her shoulders relax. “Show me what an off day for you looks like.”
I smile softly, taking two steps closer to her. I half expect her to step back, but she doesn’t and I’m close enough to lean down and kiss her again. Something I’ve thought about doing again since the second the last one ended.
“I don’t typically leave my apartment on off days.”
“Starting off strong.” She pulls at the sleeve of her cardigan.
“Honestly?” I chuckle, rubbing a hand over my jaw. “I’ll couch rot all day if I’m able to. A movie, Grey’s reruns, binge a new show, naps. If I need a break from that, I’ll do a puzzle.”
“I did read somewhere that you puzzle a lot in the offseason.” She giggles, her cute nose scrunching as she does.
“You read right. You want to do one with me?”
She swallows and her eyes shift from locking with mine down to my mouth. She doesn’t try to hide it at first. It isn’t until she probably catches herself staring that she shakes herself out of it and takes a step to the side, placing a hand on the countertop and her other on her hip.
“I might need a second cup of coffee first.”
“I can order us some,” I offer. “Anywhere you want. I’ll have some delivered.”
“Or I can go next door and grab some café con leche from my kitchen.”
“That sounds even better.”
Demi slides past me, and I don’t miss the way her arm brushes against mine as she does. Once she’s out the door, I quickly splash some water on my face and grab a few puzzles from the top of my bedroom closet.
A few more moments pass as I’m clearing off the coffee table in the living room and opening the blinds on the sliding glass door. The sunlight has all but faded as the day has turned cloudier than I expected, but it somehow feels fitting for a day off.
There’s a knock on the door, and I make quick strides to open it, taking both coffees out of her hands when I do.
“Thank you,” she says.
“Thank you. I’ve been dreaming of this coffee since the last time I had it.”
“Oh yeah?” She chuckles, pulling her cardigan off and placing it on the back of the barstool like she’s more than comfortable here and it sends a warm feeling to my bones.
“I took out a few options.” I gesture to the living room, where I have a few puzzles laid out on the couch.
“Oh, definitely this one,” she says, pointing at the box with cats on the front. “Definitely the cats in hoodies puzzle. I can’t believe you have this.” She laughs, picking up the box. “We have to do this one.”
“Yeah, that showed up in my mailbox the day after I brought Birdie home. Courtesy of Summer.” I scoff, half-smiling.
Demi smiles as she takes her coffee from my outstretched hand and sits on the floor by the coffee table. I follow her lead, sitting opposite her as Birdie pounces onto my lap. Her residence there is short-lived, though, once she spots a toy under the couch and she’s off.
“Kind of surprised you took me up on the offer to hang out,” I casually say as we’re both sorting pieces and working on the outer edges in silence.
“To be honest, me too.”
We both look up at the same time, eyes meeting.
“What’s an off day look like for you?” I ask.
She shrugs, gathering pieces that look the same in a corner of the table.
“I’ve been trying to get into cooking more. Especially any dishes my mom or abuela make. But otherwise, I’m content reading for twelve hours straight.”
“I’ll gladly be a taste-tester if you ever need someone. I like everything.”
“Everything?” She eyes me, brow raised with a questioning smirk.
“Yep.”
“Hmm,” she ponders, her lips turning down slightly as she nods.
“Here you go.” I hand her a piece of the section she’s putting together.
We’ve got the four corners figured out, it’s always where I start and she seemed to just follow my lead. But she’s making good progress on the orange cat in a green hoodie now.
“Are you close with your family?” I ask and she smiles with a nod.
“I am. I miss them a lot. My abuela is the most amazing woman. I get to talk with her in Spanish—something I don’t really do with many other people—since her English isn’t the best. And it just makes me feel so close to her.”
“So, what you’re saying is I need to learn Spanish,” I say, shifting my eyes toward her with a lazy smirk.
She’s looking at me like I’m not serious. And I love it.
“Well, she is my favorite person. Brandon never bothered to learn much past ‘hola.’” She shrugs, and I let out a low sigh at just one more thing this guy fucked up.
But she glances over at me, offering a sweet smile before switching gears.
“How’d you get into puzzles?”
“My grandfather, actually. We’d do puzzles together all the time when I was a kid.
It kind of took a backseat when football became so demanding and he went into one of those assisted living places.
I’d go visit when I could during high school and we’d get a few small puzzles done in a couple hours.
After he passed, I didn’t touch one for a while, but a few years ago I needed something stimulating to do.
I was…” I pause, not knowing how much she really cares to know about my personal life, but the warm look in her eyes makes me feel comfortable enough to continue.
“I was telling my therapist about some things I was struggling with, and mentioned I used to do puzzles. She suggested I try again, and that was that.”
“I’m sorry about your grandfather.”
“Ah,” I say, tilting my head. “Thanks. This was his.” I raise my hand, turning it to show the gold ring on my pinky finger.
“He wore it his whole life. When he passed, I got it. It started on this finger,” I say, smiling to myself and wiggling my index finger.
“But when it was getting too small for that one, I moved it to my pinky. Seems like this is where it’ll stay. ”
“That’s really sweet,” she whispers, reaching her hand toward mine.
Her fingers gently touch the ring, and I just watch her examine it.
“What’s the F for?”
“Francine. My grandmother.”
Demi nods, pulling her hand back to herself, she sits up on her knees. She leans over the coffee table, grabbing a few more puzzle pieces and quietly brings them back to her side of the table.
“It’s beautiful.” She pulls her eyes from the barely completed puzzle between us, and I swear to god there’s a moment where time stops.
Being around Demi, being pulled into her orbit, sets my soul on fire. In the deepest, warmest, and most beautiful way.
“Thank you,” I push out through a gravely tone.
“Can I have that piece?” She points to the one by my hand, and we both work in silence for another few moments on the puzzle before us.
“So can I ask what the B is for?” I point toward her wrist.
She looks down at her arm, staring for a moment, and I watch as her eyes glaze, but she smiles down at the ink on her wrist. On a blink she looks up, still smiling.
“Brianna.” She swallows. “My best friend.”