Page 67 of The Art of Almost Losing It
“Sorry about that. He just wants to make sure I haven’t kidnapped some innocent girl.”
She stares at me for a moment, her lips parted.
For a horrible second I want to kiss her.
Then she glares at me.
“Very funny.” She slides to the floor. “I’m going back to my bed.”
“No, you’re going back to mine.” I grab her.
“I thought you didn’t want me in your space.” She jerks her arm.
I back her up so her knees buckle and she lands on the edge of the bed in a poof of robes and blankets.
“I don’t want you in my closet, and definitely not in my bathroom. Your hair is everywhere.”
She stands up. I watch her rush to the door. “And I want my own bathroom.”
I pick her up.
“Hey! Put me down!”
“Then stay put.” I toss her onto my bed. “My stepdad will probably double tap.”
Her eyebrows shoot up.
Right. This is weird.
“Sorry, Dani, he’s just—”
“Hey, no need to explain to me. I’m not judging you. If you sleep over at my parents’ house, you’ll catch my granny sneaking in her hobosexual of the week.”
She flops back down on the blankets. “Get in here, roomie.”
“I’m not sharing a bed with you.” I feel my face contort into a scowl. “Don’t get your hopes up—that will never happen.”
“I wasn’t trying to—”
But I’m already leaving, going to make up the room in the guest suite.
Don’t go in there,I warn myself when I’m done and find myself standing outside the closed door of the master bedroom.
I crack it open.
She’s asleep in the middle of the bed, her leg thrown over one of the pillows. She doesn’t wake when I sit down next to her or when I slowly run my fingers along the curling planes of her hair.
13
DANI
“Hi. You must be Dani.”
A shirtless man with ear gauges and bad tattoos opens my parents’ door.
“This is Toni. He’s bisexual.” Gran sticks her hands down his waistband.
“Feisty!” Toni slaps her hand.
