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He shakes his head and gives me a bashful grin. “No, no, I’m not. Could we, uh, go somewhere more private? Where Lauren won’t stumble upon us while we talk?”
I swallow. “Yeah. Let’s go to my room.”
We walk through the house in silence, the tension thick between us. His presence is both thrilling and terrifying. I can feel him watching me as I move ahead, every step making my stomach churn with dread and anticipation.
My room is as I left it, a comforting mess of clothes, books, and writing supplies. It feels strange to have him here amongst this intimate chaos, as if it’s an invasion of my sanctuary, but at least it’s familiar ground.
He shuts the door behind us, the soft click making my heart skip a beat. We are alone now. I turn to face him.
He leans against the door, with his arms folded across his chest, looking at me with an inscrutable expression. The afternoon sunlight filters through the window and dapples his face in soft hues, lending a depth to his features that makes my breath hitch.
“So,” I start, twisting a loose strand of hair around my finger, trying to dispel the silence that has cocooned us. “You wanted to talk?”
“Yes.” He steps forward and closes the distance between us. He’s so close now; I can see the tiny flecks of green in his hazel eyes that dance with indecision and something else, something warm and tender.
“I’ve been thinking…” he trails off, running a hand through his hair in an uncharacteristic show of nervousness.
Panic flutters within me. Is this where he tells me we can’t be together? That my offer was too outrageous?
“About?” I prompt him softly.
“About your proposition.” He meets my gaze steadily now, all traces of uncertainty gone.
I swallow hard, bracing myself for rejection.
“And?”
“And…” he continues, a slight smile playing on his lips now, “I think it’s a crazy idea.”
My heart sinks. I should’ve known better than to think he’d consider it. I turn away from him, not wanting him to see the disappointment creeping onto my face.
“But,” he starts, and I whip around, my eyes wide with shock. “But I think I’m in.”
Relief floods me, leaving me speechless. He’s willing to go along with me. He’s in. I bite my lip to keep from smiling too widely, my fingers still tangled in the ends of my hair.
Parker reaches out, his hand tilting my chin upwards so that our eyes meet.
“Let’s do this, Chloe,” he says. His voice is barely a whisper, but there’s a resounding conviction in his words that makes my heart race.
We stand there, motionless for a beat before I find my voice again. “Okay, Parker.”
His fingers linger on my chin for a moment longer, and then, he drops his hand. Our eyes remain locked together, the silence humming between us, stretching out the seconds into minutes. His gaze is steady before dropping down to focus on my lips.
“So, what next?” he finally asks, breaking our long silence.
I watch him for a moment before shrugging.
“We need to plan,” I say after a moment of thought. “We need to figure out how to keep Lauren from finding out…and everyone else, really.” We can’t chance anyone seeing us and then running off to tell Lauren directly or gossiping to someone who knows her. News spreads fast in Newport.
He nods, stepping away and moving to lean against my desk. The afternoon sunlight streams in through the window and hits him just right, making his hazel eyes seem almost golden. He’s so handsome, it’s distracting.
I clear my throat and look away to try to focus.
“We might need code names,” I suggest. “So, when we text or call, it’s not our names that pop up. And we should lay out some ground rules. Since it’s only a friends-with-benefits thing, we want to keep it fun and not let it get messy.”
He chuckles, then, a low sound that makes me glance up at him again.
“What? You think I’m joking?” I ask defensively. Does he think I’m being silly?
