I nod. No girl wants to hear the words “I have no idea if this is going to work” from the guy she wants to date.
He squeezes my hand. “I want it to work though, and I’ll keep trying until I find something that does.”
Much better. I catch myself staring at his lips, wanting to feel them against mine. But can I really go there again before we figure out what to do about Tori? I look away. “So, do you like the movie?”
“It’s a little predictable. I mean, killer moves to town, people show up missing, and then bodies are found. Everyone but the main character is chopped to little pieces. Been there, done that.”
“Oh? You’ve done that?” I laugh.
“Well, no, I haven’t done that. You know what I mean.” He bumps his shoulder into mine.
“What the hell?” Tori comes back into the room, holding a full bowl of popcorn.
Toby discreetly removes his hand from mine. “Where’s Ryder? Did you scare him off?”
She glares at him. “He’s in the bathroom, genius.” She looks at me. “Is he bothering you?”
“No. We were just talking.”
“Why?” she asks, as if it’s the craziest thing in the world.
“Did you expect us to sit here and stare at the walls until you two got back?” Toby asks. “I mean, it’s not like we were groping each other, which I’m guessing I can’t say the same for you and Ryder.”
She pats her hair down. “That’s none of your business.”
Oh my God! She hooked up with Ryder already. I give her a knowing smile, and she winks at me. It’s a little disturbing that she and Toby both do the whole winking thing, but I shrug it off.
After Ryder returns, we finish the movie and say goodnight. Tori insists on walking Ryder to the door, most likely to steal another kiss. Toby lingers in her room, his hands in his pockets. “So, I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yeah.” Will there be a goodnight kiss for us?
He turns and walks out of the room, and my heart sinks.
***
I wake up to the smell of pancakes and bacon. Tori is still out cold, probably dreaming of Ryder, so I slip out of bed. I use the brush I always carry in my bag to tame my hair, and then I head to the bathroom. Luckily Tori’s mom has an extra toothbrush for me to use, so I brush my teeth, take one more look in the mirror to make sure I’m presentable, and head to the kitchen.
Mr. and Mrs. Michaels are seated at the dining room table, already eating.
“Good morning, Becca,” Mrs. Michaels says.
Mr. Michaels looks up from his paper and nods.
“Good morning. The food smells great.”
“Sit down. Toby made enough to feed an army.”
“Toby?” I sit down next to Mrs. Michaels and put my napkin in my lap.
“He’s our little chef.” She beams with pride.
“Who are you calling little?” Toby walks in, wearing an apron and holding a plate of pancakes.
“Nice apron.” I can’t help myself.
“You be quiet. Mom bought it for me.” He smiles as he puts the plate in front of me. “Like pancakes?”
“Who doesn’t?”
He sits next to me and pours me a glass of orange juice.
“Thanks.”
“It’s so nice to see we’re raising a gentleman,” Mrs. Michaels says, giving Toby a wink. Apparently winking is a family thing.
“Thanks again for letting me stay over last night, Mr. and Mrs. Michaels.”
“You’re welcome any time. I haven’t seen Toby and Tori watch a movie together in ages. It was a nice surprise, so thank you for that.”
“Oh, well, it was Toby’s idea.” I take a sip of my orange juice.
Mrs. Michaels leans closer to me. “He’s the well-mannered twin.”
“Yup, and I’m the devil twin,” Tori says, coming up behind us.
“No, sweetie. You’re just a little rough around the edges, but we love you just the same.”
I love how weird this family is. My parents are great, but they’re pretty much typical parents. They worry. They work. And they do everything for me. Weird is actually really refreshing.
“What’s got you so happy this morning?” Tori asks Toby as she sits down across from me.
Toby raises his glass and eyes me around it. “Nothing. Just felt like making pancakes.”
“And bacon.” Tori takes a heaping forkful of bacon and drops it onto her plate. The girl can eat like no one I’ve ever met, and she doesn’t gain an ounce. If I didn’t love her, I’d hate her for that.
“So”—Mr. Michaels puts the paper down—“what’s everyone up to today?”
“I was planning to go shopping,” Tori says, going back for another forkful of bacon.
“How much is on your credit card already?” Mr. Michaels asks.
Tori rolls her eyes. “I’ve got it under control, Dad.”
“I’ll keep an eye on her, Mr. Michaels. I have to return a top I bought but didn’t like.”
His brow wrinkles. “Why did you buy it if you didn’t like it?”
“Tori made her buy it,” Toby says.
“Excuse me, but she happens to look amazing in that shirt.” Tori points her fork at me. “You are so not returning it.”
“Don’t tell her what to do,” Toby says.
Okay, maybe being an only child isn’t so bad. “Tori didn’t make me buy the shirt. I thought I wanted a change, but I—”
“Changed your mind?” Toby asks.
“Exactly. That’s all.” I look at Tori. “I’m returning the shirt.”
“Suit yourself, but I think you’re making a huge mistake.”
“How can returning a shirt be a huge mistake?” Toby asks.
I force my pancakes down as quickly as I can and stand up. “Well, I have to get going. Thanks again for having me and for the pancakes.”
“Anytime, dear,” Mrs. Michaels says.
“I’ll walk you out.” Tori gets up, but I hold a hand out to stop her.
“Finish eating. I think I can find my way out.”
She shrugs and sits back down.
I clear my plate and head upstairs to change and get my bag. This time I change in Tori’s room, folding her pajamas and leaving them on her desk chair. I grab my bag and open the door. Toby comes up the stairs and motions for me to follow him to his room. I don’t get my hopes up.
He shuts the door behind us and turns to me. “Sorry about that. Guess my plan didn’t work as well as I hoped it would.”
“Don’t worry about it. Tori’s not a morning person.”
“I was going to say she’s a cranky bitch in the morning, but we can go with ‘not a morning person.’”
“Wow, you guys are worse than usual lately. I’ve never seen you fight this much.”
“You caught us on a bad decade.” He smiles.
“So you two haven’t been close since you were seven?” I think back to what they were like at that age. I’m pretty sure they fought over little things like toys and who got control of the TV remote—typical kid stuff. Nothing like this though. What happened to them, and how didn’t I realize it had gotten this bad?
He pauses like he’s thinking about it and then nods. “Sounds about right.”
“That’s awful.”
“There’s always next decade.”
“Stop making jokes. I seriously don’t want to cause any fights between you two. You said you’re worried about my friendship with Tori, but I’m worried about your relationship with her too.”
“Trust me, if Tori and I don’t get along, you’re the last reason on a long list.”
I shake my head. “That’s just terrible.”
“Hey, she’s my sister and I love her. Don’t tell her that though, okay?”
“Maybe she’ll be nicer to you if you do tell her that.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Have you met Tori?”
I laugh. Nothing sways Tori’s opinion once it’s set. Another reason why being with him is impossible. No matter how incredible that kiss was. “Maybe this is a bad idea.”
He steps closer and tilts his head to the side. “What is?”
I motion between us. “I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s already wickedly complicated. Secret bowling outings, group dates, and tutoring sessions that end with…” My heartbeat drowns out any sound in the room.
He reaches for my face, cupping it in his hands and pulling me closer. One hand drops to my waist, brushing the tiny bit of bare skin peeking out from under my shirt. Tingles shoot through me as his face dips toward mine. My chest rises and falls with the pounding of my heart. Will every kiss with him be this intense? God, I hope so. His lips find mine. It starts out soft, like the kiss last night, but then his lips part and he deepens the kiss. My fingers weave through his messy hair, pulling him closer to me. I don’t want this to end. Please don’t let this end.