Scoring Wilder(72)

When I came back from the bathroom, I peeked over the front couch to find Becca and Penn cuddled in the same position Liam and I had just been in, and I couldn't help but smile. I would have snapped a picture of them if I could have done it without waking everyone up and looking like an intense creeper. They looked so perfect together and Becca was sleeping with this tiny smile on her face. It was pretty hilarious, but still adorable.

I tried my best not to wake Liam when I crawled back onto the couch, but I could feel my heart racing beneath my shirt. I lifted the blanket and slid down next to him so that my face was pressed against his chest. I took a deep breath and inhaled a whiff of his deodorant and body wash, letting my eyes flutter closed.

"Where'd you go?" he whispered, wrapping his arms around me. I hadn't realized he was awake.

"Went to look at your baby pictures and tax returns."

"I thought you were ditching me."

"Not after you shared your candy with me." I smiled against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me tighter.

"I really like you... you should be my girlfriend."

My body stilled against his chest. Was he really asking me that or was he talking in his sleep? Maybe he'd never actually woken up and I was talking to his subconscious.

I played along as if he was actually asking me.

"It's late and asking me to be your girlfriend makes me feel like we're in high school."

He chuckled softly and bent to kiss the edge of my mouth. "Go steady with me. Be my date to an event I have to make an appearance at next week."

"Yes."

"Was that a 'yes' to being my girlfriend or a ‘yes’ to being my date?" he whispered.

"To both. Now let me sleep, you fool, before I change my mind."

He laughed and I snuggled closer to him until I felt warm and cozy enough to drift back to sleep.





Chapter Twenty-One


I woke up the next morning to the smell and sounds of crackling bacon. I rolled off the couch, wrapped myself up in the soft blanket, and then peered over to find Becca still asleep with no sign of either Liam or Penn. They must have been the source of the bacon smell.

"Wake up, Sleepyhead," I said, yanking off her blanket. She groaned and started spouting out some very colorful names, one of which was something like: Wheat-Thinned Slut Monkey. I’m sorry, but what does that even mean?

"Is that any way to talk to your bestie?" I laughed as she tried to pull the blanket from around me.

"This is mine! Get your own!"

"Kinsley! Becca! C'mon, breakfast is ready!" Penn called out. We sprang into action and raced to the kitchen, slipping and sliding in our blankets and socks. I almost wiped out when we rounded the corner to the kitchen and Becca couldn't stop laughing for five solid minutes.

Liam quirked his eyebrow at us. "I thought I got you Becca-proofing supplies."

I held up my leg and arm, which were both sporting bruises courtesy of my best friend aka spawn of Satan. "I keep forgetting to wear them. Maybe we should just wrap Becca up in bubble wrap. She packs a lot of punch for a small package."

The boys laughed. "I veto the bubble wrap," Penn joked.

I waggled my eyebrows as I stepped up to inspect the meal they'd cooked. "You’ll rethink your decision after she karate chops you in the stomach."

Becca bonked me on the arm as a warning.

"I hope you guys like bacon and waffles."

My eyes lit up. "Waffle for me please!" I grinned and took a seat at the table. Becca followed suit.

"What, we cooked it and we have to serve you?" Liam teased, already preparing a waffle on a plate. I shot him my best puppy dog eyes.

"Oh, please. Turn those off. They don't affect me." Yeah right, in two seconds flat I had a waffle, orange juice, coffee, and maple syrup placed in front of me.

I winked up at him. "We'll do the dishes."




We spent most of Sunday lazing around on the beach. Liam rubbed sun block into my skin, taking extra time to get every surface he could find. I smiled over my shoulder at him and he bent forward to kiss me.

"Do you remember our conversation last night?" he asked.

"The one about the relationship status?" I asked, biting my lip and looking back out toward the ocean.

"Mhm. Just wanted to make sure you were conscious of what you were agreeing to."

I laughed and admitted I'd worried about the same thing. "So you're my boyfriend? Liam Wilder is my boyfriend?"

He chuckled. "Well I don't refer to myself in the third person, but yes, Liam Wilder is your boyfriend and... he's a lucky guy." He ran his hand beneath the strings of my bikini and I feared he would untie them as quickly as he had the night before. I slapped his hand away playfully.

After that conversation was over, I felt much less stressed about the situation. Being around him was easy and fun. Sure, when he pulled out a soccer ball and the four of us were playing around I could hardly concentrate from the way he looked in his swim trunks, but maybe I'd get used to that eventually. A few times I caught him watching me in the same manner and I had to stifle a laugh.

All four of us tried to prolong the day as long as we could. I was loading my plate in the dishwasher after dinner when Liam wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled my ear. "You don't have to go home. You can stay and I'll take you to practice tomorrow."