AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Of course, I can’t imagine anyone would appreciate waking up to that. But I wasn’t exactly a mature fourteen-year-old, and picking on my little brother and his best friend—girl or not—was fun for me.
I rap my knuckles gently against her bedroom door, once, twice, three times, before pressing my ear to it. No noise inside. I knock again, this time a bit louder, and hear a ruffling of blankets.
“What?” she says, her voice choking on sleep.
“Breakfast?” I question through the door.
Will swings it open at my question, giving me a hard look. Meanwhile, I’m very much aware she didn’t bother putting a robe on. Her long tattooed legs are bare all the way up to her thighs, as they disappear beneath an oversized T-shirt. There’s no discernable shorts and I find myself wondering if she’s even wearing panties under there. I press my tongue to the roof of my mouth, swallowing hard and shaking away the thoughts.
“Did you cook it?” she asks, hesitation dripping from her question.
“No.” I laugh. It’s a fair question, one I completely expected.
“Okay,” she says. “Be out in a second.”
Will shuts her door and I retreat to the kitchen to wait for her, checking the emails on my phone so I can get them out of the way and get on with my day. There’s nothing too pressing as I scroll.
“What smells so good?” Will appears in the doorway, inhaling the scent of maple syrup, but still doesn’t appear to be wearing pants.
“French toast, hash browns, and bacon, which if I recall are your three favorites,” I say, pointing to the chair across from me.
Will’s facial expression is that of sheer surprise. “What’s the occasion?” she finally asks, as she takes a seat.
“Just a thank you for taking care of me this week while I’ve been on night shift. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it,” I say, leaning across the table and placing my hand over hers, giving a gentle squeeze.
She swallows, pulling her hand from mine to reach for her fork. “I was happy to do it.”
We both dig in, quiet as we chew and sip for several minutes. I’m only vaguely distracted by thoughts of her bare legs under the table, and I wonder to myself why she hadn’t bothered putting pants on. I swallow hard.God, you’re a jackass.
“So, what are your plans today?” she asks between bites, picking up a slice of perfectly cooked bacon.
“Uh, well, I don’t really have any. For once my weekend aligns with the general population, so maybe I’ll try to do what normal people do. Relax? Read a book?” I say, considering my options.
“You read books?” she asks.
“I’m not sure if I should be offended by that question.” I laugh, causing her to laugh.
“I just mean a lot of people, men especially, I don’t see them with a book in their hand often,” she clarifies. “I can’t recall seeing you with one over the years.”
“Well, I read. Actual books, not articles on my phone,” I say, squaring up my shoulders. “Usually at night before bed.”
She seems to accept this information with a slight air of approval.
“What about you?” I ask. “Any weekend plans?”
Will shrugs, swallowing her bite. “I’m supposed to go on a date tonight.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t realized she was dating. I don’t know why I find this news surprising or as bothersome as I do, but I nod, hoping not to convey too much emotion. “Who’s the lucky guy?” It’s just a saying, obviously. I mean, he is lucky though. Whoever he is.
“I don’t know how lucky he is.” She laughs. “But it’s one of Hanson’s friends. His name is Joe.”
I’ve always known that Will’s a catch. She should know I think so. “Will,” I say, tilting my head at her.
She looks up from her food, not giving an audible response, but rather just looking at me to go on.
“You are a catch,” I say. “And he is a lucky guy.”
I watch the muscles of her throat work as she swallows, and I’m oddly fascinated by her speechlessness for a moment.
