17. Willow
WILLOW
Little rabbit.
He’s called me that twice now. It’s a cute nickname, but something about it feels so…familiar.
As we’re driving through the city, he slowly slides his hand into mine, lacing our fingers together again. It’s weird, not because he’s holding my hand, but because of how easy this feels with him. I’ve never felt like this before, and honestly, it’s nerve wracking.
“I can see the wheels turning in your head. What’s wrong?” he asks as we stop at a red light.
“You’re supposed to be paying attention to the road. Not to me.”
“You’ll come to learn I’m a great multitasker, Willow,” he chuckles as he gives my hand a gentle squeeze.
“I was just thinking about the job.”
“Is that your way of saying you accept?”
He smiles over at me, and it’s taking everything in me not to just say yes already. I know I want to work there, but I kinda want to see what else he might try to bribe me with. Is that terrible?
Jenna would say no. She’d probably be telling me to try and convince him he has to give me a full body massage as a bribe or something. She’s the wild one out of the two of us, not me.
“Not yet. I told you I’d tell you in the morning.”
“Fine. But I’m going to get you to say yes before then.”
“That’s a bit cocky, Mr. Anderson,” I tease.
I let his last name flow off my tongue with sarcasm. The small frown pulling at the corner of his lips makes me laugh.
“Not cocky. I’m confident I could get you to say yes, Miss Bennett…I just have to decide which way I want to do it.”
Part of me wants to ask him what the different ways are that he’s thinking of, but before I can ask him, we’re pulling into a parking lot. Neon lights flash in the window, and large glowing letters are across the whole front.
I quickly pull out my phone to send my location to Jenna. It’s just as easy as telling her where we went next, but this way she can just click it to look up the place that we’re at, opposed to me having to tell her all the details.
“Welcome to my favorite arcade.”
“You go to more than one?” I ask.
“No. But saying it’s my favorite would make you know it’s about to be your favorite too,” he says before getting out and coming to my side of the car to open my door.
“Oh yeah? How can you be so sure it’ll be my favorite?”
He holds a hand out for me to help me out of the car. He pulls me closer and wraps his arms around me.
“Well, I think Purgatory is your favorite burger now, and I told you it was my favorite.”
“That doesn’t mean it’ll work for everything.”
My hands are on his chest as I look up into those dark eyes. Like an endless, starless sky. No light. Only the dark abyss I want to get lost in.
He removes his arms from around me and begins to pull me toward the neon flashing lights.
“We’ll see, Little Rabbit.”