The rest of the day passes by in a blur. Word spreads that a new hot girl is living in my house along with me; somehow I’m fucking my foster sister and a whole lot of other shit I don’t want to get into.

Memes are made.

Tweets.

And yet, even though I’m livid that people can be so cruel, I’m smiling the entire ride back to the house.

People are strange… I mean, yeah it happened, but who just randomly makes that sort of shit up?

Belle moans. “That was torture.”

“Correction,” I say. “It was torture before you were there; now it’s almost like a reward seeing you by my side.”

“Huh?”

“I used to stare at the birds,” I admit.

She sits up. “Wait, what?”

“Outside.”

“Duh, because they live outside. What do you mean, though?”

I pull into my driveway and put the car in park. “I used to be jealous that they were outside, and I wasn’t.”

She frowns, her cute eyebrows causing a crease to form. “And now? Now, what are you jealous of?”

“The air,” I whisper. “It’s touching you.” I lean in. “I’m not.”

“I can’t decide if that’s cheesy or just really romantic.”

“And I can’t decide…” I tuck her hair behind her ear. “If I’m a lunatic for wanting to fuck you again or just really, really in love at first sight.”

“You think that’s possible?” she asks. “Love at first sight?”

“Do you?” I counter.

Her eyes dart from right to left and then land on my mouth. “I think that if it was, it would be proven already, don’t you think? From this morning?”

“Oh, that was stalking at first sight, but I can see how you’d be confused.”

She punches me in the shoulder. “I was tired and looking for a bathroom.”

“Like what you find, though?” I tease.

Her smile goes wide. “I did. I do.”

“Then the theory is proven, right?”

“Right.” She throws her head back in a laugh. “How can you be both such an asshole and such a gentleman? I don’t get it.”

“The world’s a confusing place, princess.” I reach for my door and open it. “Just as long as I’m both to you—I’m okay with the weirdness.”

“Both,” she repeats, getting out of the car and following me into the house like it’s normal that we live together and like it’s not tense as hell once we’re in the kitchen making snacks.

“So.” She finally breaks the ice. “When do your parents get home.”

I almost laugh before I point to the fridge. “They always leave a note.”

She reads it out loud. “Don’t wait up. Out for dinner tonight, order pizza.”

They don’t leave a twenty; they leave a hundred dollar bill as if we’re going to feed the town or at least more than two people.

Belle grabs it and waves it in front of my face. “Pizza, huh?”

I lift her onto the kitchen counter and kiss her mouth. “Can I have you first? Rewards.” I press a tender kiss to her lips. “Remember?”