Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
RENLEY
“Your gentleman caller came by this morning, asking if you were planning on going on your walk,” Aunt Kitty says as I stumble into the kitchen, severely hungover thanks to her homemade wine. “Told him that you were still sleeping and that I didn’t foresee you going for your walk.”
“Can you please not call him my gentleman caller?”
“Isn’t that what he is? He’s trying to court you, and I’d say after yesterday, he was able to do such a thing. Rupert and I had a little something to do with that. Thank you very much.”
“Can you not meddle in my life?” I ask as I lay my face flat on the surface of our kitchen table, letting the coldness seep into my skin.
“If I didn’t meddle, then you wouldn’t have had your first kiss last night.”
“What are you talking about? We didn’t kiss.”
“You didn’t kiss?” she nearly shouts as she puts a pile of hash browns in front of me along with a bottle of ketchup.
“No, there was no kissing.”
“No kissing? After we set you up with whipped cream, strawberries, music, and mood lighting, you didn’t end up kissing that man?
Renley.” She turns to me, hand on her hip, fork in the air, pointing in my direction.
“There is something wrong with you if you couldn’t muster up the courage to kiss that man. ”
“I told you, I’m not looking for anything romantic.”
Then again, I will say, there was a small moment when we were on the grass staring up at the sky where I felt the urge to snuggle in close and rest my head on his shoulder. I’m sure he’d have welcomed it, and my body yearned for it, but my mind had urged me to see that it wasn’t a great idea.
I listened…not entirely, but I listened. I didn’t stay far away, but I didn’t snuggle either, so it was a happy medium. And I’m glad I didn’t listen, because I probably would have regretted it this morning.
I would have regretted a kiss.
A late-night kiss under the stars.
A late-night kiss under the stars with one of the most handsome men I’ve ever laid eyes on.
Right?
I’d have regretted it.
Surely I would have.
I would have woken up and thought, what the hell was I thinking? Why did I kiss a man who tried to propose to me the same day we met? Just…insanity.
Instead, I woke up with…uh…with…ugh, I woke up thinking about the night I had and how it felt so simple.
So easy. Even though he annoys me, he still has this intriguing quality that keeps me coming back for more.
I don’t know why. And let’s be honest: his accent is divine and I love listening to him speak. He’s so polished.
“Are you thinking about him right now?”
“No,” I scoff.
As the English would say, pishposh.
Not thinking about him in the slightest…
Ugh, but he would have been so warm last night if I had snuggled into him.
And I’d thought about it. I thought about melting into him, into his scent of leather and spice.
I thought about how strong his hold on me might be, and frankly, I’m ashamed because that’s not something I’ve ever cared about before, but Rupert and Aunt Kitty confused me with the wine and the cream in my mouth and…
ugh, I need to focus. I have things to accomplish.
“It seems like you were thinking about him, which is a good sign. The more you think about him, the more that love for him will grow.”
Love? That snaps me right out of my thoughts.
This is why Aunt Kitty can never get involved with anything romantic in my life.
“I’m going to stop you right there.” I rub my hand over my forehead, my headache feeling like it’s attempting to shrink my head into the size of a pea.
“There is no love between us, there will never be love between us. So trying to make a nonexistent love grow is not worth your time, nor is it worth annoying me.”
“Annoying you? How could that possibly annoy you?”
“Because I don’t want it,” I say quickly, attempting to use a stern voice.
“I don’t want it, Aunt Kitty. I know you have this notion in your head that I need to find someone to spend my life with, but I don’t care about that.
I care about the candy shop. I care about showing this town that the Gossage name is not associated with screwing up.
I have goals, and finding a relationship is not one of them, so please just stop. ”
She leans against the counter, clearly not happy with me. “He’s a good man.”
“You don’t even know him.”
“I know that he helped you yesterday and didn’t get anything out of it. He did it out of the kindness of his heart.”
“He has ulterior motives,” I say. “He didn’t do that out of kindness.”
Although, I feel a little wrong saying that, because he did ask me to teach him how to do things because he’s never had those life experiences, and after we stared up at the stars, silent and holding hands, I don’t think that was for the whole proposal angle he’s trying to take. I think that was genuine compatibility.
Still, Aunt Kitty doesn’t need to know that, because she will take it and run with it.
“Sometimes you can change—”
“Just stop,” I say, standing from the table, annoyed that she keeps pushing it. “Nothing is going to happen between me and Theo, so just let it go.”
“Okay,” she says somberly, making me feel bad that I yelled at her. “Well, he brought over that note on the counter. Left it here when he saw that you weren’t going for a walk this morning. I believe he wanted to hand it to you in person.”
I glance at the envelope and then back at her. “Did you read it?”
“Does it look like I’m someone who’d commit a federal crime by reading another person’s mail?”
“Yes,” I answer truthfully.
“Well, not anymore,” she answers and then takes off toward the living room, leaving the food on the stove to burn.
I quickly turn off the stovetop and then snag the envelope and open it up.
Hey Gossy,
After last night, I thought I’d make a new proposal of rules since you’ve been breaking them so often. It’s okay, not all of us can be as perfect as me.
The corner of my lip curls up in a smile, and I hate that he can charm me even through a simple note.
So to save you from further embarrassment, I propose these new rules. Feel free to make adjustments and send back to me. I’m accepting mail through the mail slot in the door if you’re too shy to bring it to me.
*Clears throat*
Rule Number One: Theo is not allowed to buy Renley and Kitty’s affection.
(We can keep this. I’m really not into the whole buying someone’s affection for me thing. I’d like to earn it.)
Rule Number Two: Theo is allotted five visitations with Renley each day.
(I propose we move this to infinite visitations because I can sense that you’re getting antsy not seeing me all the time.
I get it, I’m enigmatic and playful and tend to be the sunshine in someone’s day, so by all means, let’s make this infinite for you.
See how mindful I am, how demure? [Did you get that reference? Please say yes.])
Rule Number Three: Theo is not allowed to flirt with Renley.
(I think we have to eliminate this or change it to “Renley is semi-allowed to flirt with Theo” because, Gossy, you’ve been out of control. And I don’t mind the flirting, but only within reason. We have to keep it platonic.)
Rule Number Three, Subsection a: No winking.
(Suggestion: strike this. Up to you though, sometimes it seems like you enjoy the wink. You might love it if I were able to do it more.)
Rule Number Four: Theo is not allowed to propose to Renley.
(Blek, gross. I don’t want to propose at all, but let’s keep this as a stark reminder of just how gross we both think it is. *Throws up*)
Rule Number Five: Renley is to teach Theo how to be a real boy.
(You stole my floor-vacuuming virginity last night. I hope that you continue to do the same thing.)
Rule Number Six: Renley is not allowed to date anyone during the summer.
(This should be rule number one in my opinion.)
Rule Number Seven: Theo is allowed to pursue Renley but can’t get mad when Renley ignores all advances and doesn’t even bat an eyelash when he makes his best move because she doesn’t have the time or mental capacity for a relationship or internet fiancé.
(Seemed like you had the mental capacity last night, but then again, maybe it was the homemade wine.)
Please tell me your thoughts on the matter. Greatly appreciated.
Your favorite British non-fiancé, Theodore
I set the letter down and stare at the oven, my mind racing, my stupid lips pulling up in a grin.
Ugh, why does he have this effect on me?
Why is it so easy for him to do it?
It’s annoying.
This whole thing is annoying.
And yet, I want to write him back.
So I grab the letter and go up to my room, where I lie on my stomach on my bed, grab a pen and a notebook from my nightstand, and start writing him back.
Dear Theo,
It’s so weird. I’m remembering details from last night a little differently, as well as the person who seems to be breaking the rules set forth by both of us. Please refer to the adjusted rules down below.
Rule Number One: Theo is not allowed to buy Renley and Kitty’s affection.
(We can keep this. I’m really not into the whole buying someone’s affection for me thing. I’d like to earn it.)
Could not agree more. Buying affection is off the table.
Rule Number Two: Theo is allotted five visitations with Renley each day.
(I propose we move this to infinite visitations because I can sense that you’re getting antsy not seeing me all the time.
I get it, I’m enigmatic and playful and tend to be the sunshine in someone’s day, so by all means, let’s make this infinite for you.
See how mindful I am, how demure? [Did you get that reference? Please say yes.])
Got the reference. And I believe it’s supposed to be demure, then mindful. That being said, I’m adjusting this to three visits now. Greedy people must be punished.
Rule Number Three: Theo is not allowed to flirt with Renley.