Chapter 4 #2
He shrugs. “I don’t know, man. I guess I hoped I could convince you to act like my long-distance boyfriend, just until I could get my head on straight about Robbie and Lissa getting married?
I don’t want Robbie to suspect that I’m not thrilled for him.
Because I should be, damn it. But I knew if I had to stand there and congratulate them tonight, I wouldn’t be able to fake it, and Robbie would see—” He breaks off with another shake of his head.
“It was stupid, I know that. I just don’t want to lose him as a friend.
I don’t know what my life would be like without Rob in it. ”
Someone knocks at the door, and a female voice calls, “Ames, sweetie? I’ve gotten things settled in the dining room, and Robbie and Lissa left.
I, ah… wanted to check on you and Erick.
” There’s a pause while another voice speaks in the background, then, “And Jenna says she’s sorry, but there’s an issue with the ice cream machine, so she can’t make the baked Alaskas. ”
“Thanks, Mom. Tell Jenna I’ll be right there.” Ames runs a hand over his face, tidies his hair, and forces a smile before he heads out.
When he’s gone, Erick glances up at me. “I know you’re angry with him, and I don’t blame you,” he whispers. “I’m not thrilled either. But… I kinda feel bad for him.”
I crack my neck from side to side. “Same,” I admit. Then I narrow my eyes. “Not enough that I actually want you pretending to be his long-distance anything, though. We have plans for while you’re here. I don’t want to lose a minute with you.”
I sound like a possessive asshole, and I know it. I’m half expecting him to call me on it, but Erick just smiles warmly, like he’s okay with it. Like he maybe even enjoys it.
“Oh. Well, there’s another reason it’d be tricky for me to pretend to be his long-distance boyfriend.” Erick wraps his arms around my neck and kisses my chin, then the side of my jaw, then my ear.
It’s fucking distracting in the best way, and I’m already thinking about the most expedient route to get Erick out of here and into my truck, so I almost miss it when he whispers softly, “I’m moving to Winsome.”
I suck in a breath and rear back, sure I’ve heard wrong. “You… but…”
Erick bites his lip uncertainly. “Uh. Surprise? You did say you’d be putty in my hands if I surprised you with a grand gesture, right? And I, um, already wasted the helicopter trick, so…” He swallows hard.
“Baby. Explain,” I demand.
“Well, I’ve been dying to get a permanent job, you know that.
So I… I expanded my job search. It turns out there’s a nursery school about twenty minutes outside Winsome that’s hiring.
One of their teachers has to leave mid-term, so they’re kind of desperate.
I sent in my application, and we had a phone interview yesterday.
I’m going to meet the staff on Monday morning, and then, if all goes well…
” He takes a deep breath. “I’ll start in a couple weeks. ”
I stare at him. My heart’s already pounding out a joyful beat, but I literally can’t believe what he’s saying. I’ve been telling myself not to want this, not to even think about it, that there’s no way.
But trust my impulsive boyfriend to make it happen.
Erick obviously misreads my shocked silence as disapproval because he starts babbling.
“I-I mean, this doesn’t have to change anything between us, obviously.
I didn’t only move here for you. I genuinely like Winsome.
I want a slower pace. I want to get to know people here and be part of the community.
I didn’t do this to pressure you in any way either, so if you’re not ready to go public, I—”
I cut him off with a kiss. “I’m more than ready, Erick. For you to meet my family. For you to move here. For us to be together all the time. To rent a billboard and tell the whole world we’re together, if you want.”
“Oh.” Erick’s eyes shine with the same happiness and optimism I’m feeling. And that oh cuts me down to my soul in the best way. “Really?”
“Really.” I lean in again so our foreheads are touching. “There’s just one problem. You seem to have found yourself another boyfriend.” I don’t mean for the last word to come out in a growl, but it does. “Apparently, we’re not the only impulsive people around here.”
Erick laughs, then groans. “The whole town’s probably heard by now, haven’t they?”
“Undoubtedly.”
He winces. “And if we tell everyone that Ames was lying or even joking…”
“They’ll all wonder why, yeah,” I say, reaching the same conclusion Erick has. “And that would probably screw Ames over.”
Ames isn’t nearly as good at hiding his feelings as he seems to think.
“We do sort of owe Ames a favor,” Erick says tentatively. His fingers tickle the hair at the nape of my neck. “From last October. And isn’t helping people what living in a small town is all about?”
I can see where he’s going with this, and I don’t like the idea one bit.
“I think you’re adapting to life in Winsome a little too well already,” I grumble. “Because this whole idea is pure Winsome ridiculousness. What would it even look like if we played along?”
“I don’t know, exactly,” Erick admits. “Maybe we’ll tell people Ames and I are taking it slow?
Getting to know each other as friends first?
And… honestly, that might not be a bad thing.
I do want to make friends here, and I think Ames could use a friend too.
” He frowns, then adds, “But I want your family to know the truth. That’s a hard limit for me. ”
I nod grudgingly. “And this can’t go on indefinitely.”
“Hell no. A few weeks at most,” Erick says. “Otherwise, it’ll be really hard to explain why I’m going to Esme’s quinceanera as your date this summer.”
I huff out a laugh because I love that he’s remembered that.
Then I scowl as a new thought occurs to me. “But there’ll be no kissing Ames. I don’t care how bad you feel for him. That’s a hard limit for me.”
Erick laughs like the idea is too ridiculous to take seriously. “No kissing my fake boyfriend, huh? You drive a hard bargain, but okay.” His eyebrow arches. “But my real boyfriend can kiss me now, if he wants.”
“He wants,” I say roughly. Then I do just that.