Page 23 of Chasing Hope
But as she spins, I take that as my moment, bending my knees I all but tackle her, lifting her up and over my shoulder in one fluid motion.
“Put me the fuck down, Valenti!”
“No, you’re becoming a hermit.” Back in the kitchen, I place her coffee in the sink and snatch the bags off the counter. She continues to whack my back but it just feels like a fly bouncing off my skin.
“What are you? Made of titanium?” A burst of surprised laughter leaves my lips, the sound making Evie freeze in my arms. “Oh my god, did you just…laugh?”
“Stop acting surprised every time, it’s annoying. You’ve heard me laugh since we were kids.”
I feel her elbow dig into my back, likely on purpose. “Pfft, and in those long years I could probably count on one hand how many times I’ve heard it. It’s a shock to the system.”
“Good, maybe it will shock the funk right out of you.”
“Rude.”
“Stubborn.”
She lets out a frustrated groan as I carry her and the hiking bags to the front door. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, put me down and let me at least get dressed. You’ve made your point.”
I pause at the front door, hesitant. “You’re not going to lock yourself in the bathroom, are you?”
“What’s the point? It’s connected toyourbedroom.”
“This feels like a trap.”
“You need to work on your trust.”
“Says the woman who barricaded her bedroom door the last time I tried to get you out of the apartment.”
She gasps, then an elbow slams into my back again, letting me know that the time before was absolutely not an accident.
“Keep trying, I’m impenetrable.”
“Apparently so is your ego.” Huffing, she resorts to smacking me. “Put me down!”
My lip quirks as I imagine what her face will look like as I tease, “Say please.”
“Ew, no.”
“It’s the least you could do. I could still be charged with vandalism.”
That gives her pause and then I hear the faintest whisper, barely audible to the point I don’t even know if she said please or fuck off. Cupping a hand over my ear, I call out, “I’m sorry, what was that?”
“Insufferable fucking cocky bastard hockey player?—”
“That didn’t sound like please.”
Groaning, she hits my lower back one more time and then screeches, “Please!”
It takes everything in me to not allow my smile to break free. Bending, I gently drop Evie to the floor. “See, that wasn’t hard, was it?”
Amanicured red finger is in my face in the blink of an eye. Now I do let my smile fly.
“Stop pestering me,” she demands.
Leaning against the wall, I cross my arms over my chest. “You have ten seconds flat to dress for a hike before I fireman?—”
Evie’s blonde hair goes flying as she hightails it up the stairs. Her stomps are like music to my ears, until the sound of her cussing me out fills the apartment.
