8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Beck

I force a smile to my face, hoping it’s convincing. He says the right words, but something about his expression doesn’t seem right. His eyes dim slightly, and his face falls. I’m worried, though I’m not entirely sure why. It’s nothing more than a gut feeling that something’s wrong, that he’s hiding something from me. But it doesn’t change anything for me. If something is wrong and he doesn’t want to tell me, I have to respect that. I can only hope that by being there for him, one day he’ll trust me enough to open up.

I think I’m falling in love with him. I’ve never been in love, so I don’t know for sure what it feels like, but I imagine it’s a lot like this. Every time we’re together, butterflies run rampant in my stomach, and a smile is permanently etched onto my face. I want to spend all my time with him, and I miss him the second he’s gone. Hell, I miss him before he even leaves most days. I also can’t stop drawing him. I’ve filled an entire sketchbook and had to buy a new one. He’s so damn beautiful. It really can’t be helped.

Riley is coming over tonight to hang out with us, and she and Roman are going to meet officially for the first time. We all went to school together, but I don’t think they’ve ever had a conversation with each other that wasn’t at the bakery with Roman taking her order.

I shake myself from my thoughts as he hands me Riley’s scone and my coffee. Leaning over the counter, I give him a little peck on the lips, watching as his cheeks turn pink. “I’ll pick you up later?” I ask.

He nods, looking a little frazzled, and I can’t help but smile. I lean in again, brushing my lips gently against his. He shivers and I pull back. “Okay, I really gotta go. Can’t have you getting in trouble at work.”

“Yes. I’ll see you later,” he calls out as I walk out of the store.

I pull into the end of Roman’s driveway, but he’s not there like he usually is. I’m tempted to drive the rest of the way down, but he’s been a little shifty about it, so I don’t want to push my luck and risk pissing him off. Instead, I pull my phone out and shoot him a message.

Me

Hey, I’m here.

After a few minutes of waiting, I get a response.

Roman

About to head down now. Sorry to keep you waiting.

Me

No worries. See you soon.

I set my phone down and stare up the driveway like a lovesick puppy. When he comes into view, something seems off. I scan his face and body, not sure what I’m looking for, but there’s an unease I can’t shake. He raises his hand in a little wave as he gets closer, and I step out of the car to open his door for him.

I lean forward to brush my lips against his lightly, and when I pull back, he ducks into his seat. I shut the door behind him, walk back around to my side of the car, and climb in. When I turn to look at him, he looks a little stiff. I can’t help but be a little worried. “Are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Dad’s… being a dick today,” he finally says after a long pause.

I reach over and grip his hand, squeezing it gently. “I’m sorry. Do you want me to tell Riley tonight’s not a good night?”

His eyes connect with mine. “No, of course not. I’m fine. I want to hang out with her.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, not willing to let him push down his discomfort for my sake or hers. “She won’t mind, and you and I can hang out instead, maybe cuddle and make out a little.”

He laughs, and the sound eases some of my tension. “One-track mind, huh?” he teases with a smile in my direction. I shrug because he’s not wrong. It’s entirely possible I am obsessed. I certainly feel it. “No, it’s fine. Let’s hang out with Riley. I’m looking forward to meeting her. And we can always send her home early, if you want… so we can maybe cuddle and make out a little.” The smirk on his face makes my heart trip over itself in my chest, and all I can do is nod, my throat suddenly too dry to speak.

He laughs again, and I pull out of his driveway.

Riley and Roman get along like a house on fire. Not that I expected anything different, but either way, it makes my soul happy to see my two favorite people in the entire world getting along so well. Roman seems to have shaken off whatever mood was keeping him down and is all smiles and laughter.

Riley gasps for air, tears streaming down her face as she cackles like the fucking menace she is. “No, I’m serious,” she manages to say between laughs. “It was the funniest thing I’d ever seen. You would have thought he was about to die, thrashing around in the water. Then his mom tells him to stand up, and when he does, the water is barely covering his hips.”

“I can imagine. I wish I had been there to see it,” Roman says through his own laughter.

Riley takes a few deep breaths to calm herself. I smile, remembering the day she’s talking about well. I can laugh about it now, but there was nothing funny about it that day. The summer before freshman year, my parents took us on a fishing trip. I’m not exactly a world-renowned fisherman, so when I got a bite, I got so excited that I freaked out and tossed my pole in the water. Don’t ask me why—I have no clue. Then, to make matters worse, I decided to jump in after it. As soon as I hit the water, I started flopping around, flailing my arms and freaking the hell out. My mom was yelling at me to stand up, and after a few more seconds of panicked thrashing, I did. The water barely reached my waist. Everyone had a good laugh. And I haven’t been fishing since.

I shake my head with a grin. “Yeah, yeah. I was a goofy-ass kid and almost drowned for no reason, I know.”

Both of them turn to look at me, and Roman reaches out to clasp my hand, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. It’s a simple touch, but it still warms me from the inside. Riley squeals and claps her hands.

“You guys have no idea how happy I am that you’re together now. I was so tired of watching Beck pine after you,” she says.

I sputter a laugh. “Damn, Riley, tell him all my secrets, why don’t you?”

Roman smiles at me. “Don’t forget I’ve seen your sketchbooks, Beck. I already knew you were pining.”

Riley bursts into laughter. “He showed you his drawings?”

My cheeks heat up as Roman shakes his head. “No, but the first night I came over here to hang out, it was open on his bed. I saw it before he could stop me.”

Riley clasps her hands over her chest with a put-upon, dreamy sigh. “Oh, you guys are meant to be. So romantic.”

Roman and I exchange a glance and we both start laughing. “Is she always like this?” he asks, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“Always,” I confirm, and she gasps loudly in outrage.

“Excuse me, I’m right here! And just when I thought I was starting to like you,” she says, glaring at Roman playfully, before turning her glare on me. “And you—you’re supposed to be my best friend, not make fun of me.”

“Did you, or did you not, tell Roman the embarrassing fishing story?” I ask, raising an incredulous eyebrow at her.

She sniffs and turns her nose up at us. “Okay, fine, I did. But that doesn’t give you the right to turn on me like that.”

I shake my head, laughing as Roman joins in. Finally, Riley breaks and laughs with us. The three of us swap stories and talk—giggling like overgrown children—until Riley declares it’s time for her to head home.

I stand to walk her out, and when we make it to the front door, she kisses my cheek. “I’m so happy for you, Beck. All jokes aside, Roman seems perfect for you. He’s a good guy. I like him a lot.”

“Me too, Ri. I think I might be falling in love with him,” I admit quietly, worried that he might overhear me.

Her answering smile is soft. “And who could blame you for that, really? He’s amazing.” I watch as she walks down the driveway. When she makes it to her car, she turns back to me with a shit-eating grin. “Now don’t screw it up!”

I shake my head at her before closing the door and heading back to my room, where Roman is waiting. The thought of screwing this up terrifies me, but I know I’m going to do everything I can not to.

When I walk back into my room and shut the door, Roman is stretched out on my bed, legs crossed lazily, and his arms folded under his head. He looks so relaxed, like he belongs here.

He smiles up at me. “So, cuddles and make-out time?”

Oh, yes. That sounds perfect. I all but dive onto the bed next to him. Once we’re side by side, he rolls onto his side and trails his finger down my cheek. The touch is gentle, reverent almost, and it sends a shiver down my spine. His eyes are locked on mine with an intensity that makes my heart race.

My breath hitches as his fingers continue down the side of my neck, the pulse there fluttering wildly under his touch. With his fingers resting against my skin, he leans over and kisses me. The second our lips connect, a groan escapes me. Kissing Roman is like nothing I’ve ever experienced—so good, so freaking good. I don’t know if kissing is always this incredible or if it’s only this good because it’s him, but I never want to stop.

I open my lips in invitation, and he takes it, his tongue slipping into my mouth to tangle with mine. Our kiss deepens, our tongues moving together in an easy rhythm, like we’ve been doing this for years, not a couple of weeks. His fingers start to explore, and my breath catches in my throat as he touches my chest over my shirt, his fingers dipping into the divot of my collarbone, running over my pecs, brushing against my nipples. Each touch sends a wave of heat through my body, desire pooling in my lower stomach.

He pulls back slightly. “Can I take your shirt off?” We’ve never done that before. We’ve made out and humped against each other fully clothed until we’ve both come, but we’ve never gotten naked around each other. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen his bare skin since high school. And even then, I barely allowed myself to sneak a peek at him.

I nod, sitting up quickly to help him pull it off. I toss it on the floor next to the bed and lie back down. His eyes roam over my chest.

“You too,” I croak out, my voice thick with desire, and he smiles before pulling his own shirt over his head and tossing it down with mine.

I’m entranced by the sight of him—lean muscles fully on display, his broad shoulders, his rounded pecs, his defined abs tapering into a sexy V that disappears into the waistband of his jeans. My cock gives a mighty jerk in my jeans, and I look back at his face. He’s too busy taking in my body to even notice the effect he’s having on me.

“You’re… wow,” he says, his voice a little shaky.

My lips quirk up in a smile. “Yeah? You’re not so bad yourself.”