Kincaid lifted her head, worry there. “What?”

“I didn’t tell her.” He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “She sensed it with her spidey sense.”

“Damn.” Kincaid rolled her lips together, a pensive look on her face. “Was she…okay?”

He nodded. “More than okay. She seemed happy about it.”

Her brows arched. “Really?”

“You that surprised?” he said, forcing jest into his voice. “She thinks I’m a pretty good catch, you know.”

Her lips twitched into a smile, and she rolled her eyes. “Of course you are.” She pushed up on her toes and kissed him lightly. “I guess it still feels a little strange for me. Like I’m betraying her son in some way.”

“I know,” he said, “but you should know that she doesn’t see it that way.”

She nodded. “Good.”

“So what exactly did you tell her?” she asked, her nose wrinkled. “That we were, like…dating, hanging out?”

“I told her you were just using me for my body while I was in town and that you had a thing for shower sex.”

She smacked his arm. “Ash.”

He laughed. “I told her we were spending time together. She told me I smell like your perfume. I think she figured it out.”

Kincaid’s cheeks went pink, and she buried her face in his shoulder. “Oh my God. I’m so glad that was you having that conversation and not me.”

“I don’t mind taking one for the team.” He smiled and kissed the crown of her head. “Come on. Let’s close up shop, and I’ll take you to dinner.”

She leaned her weight into him. “We can just order takeout if you want. I know it’s been a long day.”

“Nope.” He gave her a little squeeze. “You look too pretty not to show off. Plus, we can celebrate us moving in together.”

She lifted her head and snorted. “For a whole week.”

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “That’s a whole week of waking up with you next to me. I’d say that’s worth celebrating.”

Her gaze jumped up to his, surprise there, but he didn’t flinch. If he was going to do this, he was going to do this. No filter.

A little smile touched her lips. “That’s sweet, Ash. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

He laced his fingers with hers, a buoyant feeling in his chest, and tugged her toward the back of the store.

You don’t know the half of it, cupcake.

Twenty-One

Then—Junior Year

Ash was going to tell her. He had to. This had gone on too long, and it was getting pathetic. No, it was already pathetic. He shifted on a stool behind the checkout counter, his well-worn notebook in front of him, his heart on the goddamned pages. He wanted to shove the whole thing at Kincaid and run like a damn coward. Having her see his words could possibly get him everything he wanted or, more likely, would send the best thing in his life up in a ball of friendship-wrecking flames.