The Distance Between Us(49)

Xander is still searching for the hot chocolate. He looks like a stranger in his own kitchen, opening doors he obviously has no clue what’s behind. Finally he snatches the container out from behind a cupboard with a loud “Aha.”

“Have you ever looked inside these cupboards in your life?” I ask.

“Of course.”

“Let’s play a game, then. Skye names a kitchen item. Whoever finds it first wins.”

“Wins what?”

“Bragging rights.”

“This is my house. I think I’ll win.”

“Prove it, rich boy. Tess isn’t here to make your bottle for you.”

“Oh, you are so on.”

I smile. I know my way around a kitchen. And if a cook set it up she would be smart and practical. Cooking utensils by the stove, glasses by the sink. I have this. I nod to Skye.

She smiles. “Okay. We’ll start easy. Spatula.”

Xander runs to the island and starts tearing through the drawers. I go to the stove and pull open the drawers on either side of it. Right away I find the spatula and turn around holding it up.

“First round to Caymen,” Skye says, and Xander snaps his head up to look at me. He growls.

“Okay, second item. Cereal bowl.”

I give a grunt of indignation. “So not fair. You knew he’d know where that is.” And of course he does. Cupboard beside the pantry.

“Tiebreaker,” Skye calls out. “Find me a strainer.”

I laugh at the look on Xander’s face. It’s a look that says, I don’t even know what that is. I race toward the sink. It will be underneath one of the cupboards there. When I reach for the cupboard a pair of hands grab my waist and pull me back. Then he cuts around me and yanks open the cupboard I was going for. I jolt forward and settle in next to him, trying to push him aside with my body.

“Cheater,” he says.

“Me? You’re the cheater.” He’s standing firm. I can’t push him over and he’s searching the shelves.

“It’s like a bowl with holes in it,” Skye calls out.

“My own best friend is against me.” I wrap my arms around Xander’s waist and try to pull him back. The kettle on the stove whistles and Skye removes it from the burner.

“Got it!” Xander holds the strainer in the air. I jump up and try to grab it and he keeps it just out of my reach. When I try to pull his arm down, he puts his free arm around my shoulder, pinning me against his chest. “And the winner is Xander.”

“Cheaters! The both of you!”

He clears his throat. “I’d like to dedicate this win to my supreme knowledge of the kitchen layout and tools therein that I have used on many occasions. If it wasn’t for—” He stops mid-sentence and then says, “Oh, hi, Mom.”

I immediately drop my hands that are pushing against Xander’s chest and try to twist out of his hold. He sets the strainer on the counter and secures me with both arms. “Mom, this is Caymen Meyers and her friend Skye.”

I turn my head toward her because my body is still trapped in Xander’s grip. I’m afraid of what I’ll see on her face. Afraid this will be the moment when I finally meet the resistance to this relationship on his end. But she has a pleasant look on her way-too-young-to-be-Xander’s-mother face. Her hair is blond. Her eyes are blue. Now I see where Lucas gets his looks from. Xander didn’t inherit a thing from his mother. But then she smiles, perhaps because I start struggling against Xander, and I see that he inherited his best feature from her.

“Good to meet you, girls. Caymen, I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Hello, Mrs. Spence. Your son won’t let me go because he’s a cheater, but it’s good to meet you.”

Xander releases me, and I back away from him a few steps, trying to keep my explosion of giddiness to myself.

Mrs. Spence picks up a roll of toilet paper from the counter and scrunches her nose.

“Ask Caymen about that,” Xander says.

Great, now I have to explain to his mother about my vandalism? “Your son called me with a toilet paper emergency. I rushed right over.”

She looks confused so Xander says, “She’s kidding, Mom.”

“Ah, yes. The dry humor you were telling me about.”

Jeez, how much did they talk about me?

“Well, I’m glad you’ve gotten my serious boy laughing.” She squeezes my arm and then pats Xander’s cheek. “I’m off to bed. Don’t be a stranger, Caymen.”

“Night, Mom.” After his mom leaves, Xander moves to the mugs and scoops a few spoonfuls of powdered chocolate into each then pours the hot water. “This isn’t as good as Eddie’s but I hope it’ll do.”

“Do you have a bathroom somewhere?” Skye asks. “Or ten?”

He smiles. “The closest one is through that arch. First door on your right.”

“Thanks.”

She leaves and it’s just Xander and me standing side by side at the counter. His hip presses against my side as he reaches for a spoon. Then our hands brush as we reach for the same mug. We both pull back from it.

“Go ahead,” we say at the same time and then laugh. He takes a sip of the hot chocolate and then slides the mug to me.

The entire sides of our bodies are touching—shoulders, elbows, hips, thighs—all the way down to our feet. I can feel every tiny movement he makes.