Begin Again (Again #1)(88)

In the background, I noticed Dawn sit on the couch and pull Scott down with her. The candidates stood there, looking uncomfortable.

“So first of all—you cry at every little thing. It’s true,” he turned toward the strangers in the room. “One time she started bawling when I brought her some pizza.”

“That was just—”

“Secondly,” he interrupted me, “she sings in the shower. Out of tune and awful.”

“Stop it, Kaden!” My cheeks were hot, my hands clenched. “I don’t have to take this.”

Did he really think this was the right way to convince me to let him move in?

“Thirdly,” he continued unmoved, “she mixes fragrances that don’t match. Vanilla. Coconut. Mint. Disgusting. So it can smell like a candy factory in here day or night. It’s a recipe for a headache. Worse than a hangover.”

“That’s not so bad,” Bow-tie Isaac interjected, with a shy smile. I answered with a grateful smile of my own.

Kaden stepped toward him and threw sparks. “You’re not moving in under any circumstances. Particularly if you look at her like that. Make your puppy dog eyes somewhere else; shove off, dude.”

“Kaden, you don’t get it!” My pulse was hammering in my ears. “Just because we’ve made up doesn’t mean you can come in here and hijack my search for a housemate.”

“That’s not my intention,” he answered.

I raised my eyebrows and folded my arms.

“Well, actually that is what I want. But only,” he cleared his throat, “because I know we’re a good team. I don’t think you’d be better off with someone else. Besides, we really have made up, and I’ll probably be here more often now—a roommate would get on our nerves.”

I shook my head. “You can’t just throw my plans out the window because they don’t meet your expectations,” I whispered, hoping that the others wouldn’t eavesdrop.

Kaden stepped toward me. It almost looked like he wanted to grab me, but he let his hands drop again. “I know I messed up. Really bad. But please, Allie. Please give me a chance.”

I sighed. Who was I fooling?

My eyes met Isaac’s gaze; he was looking back and forth from Kaden to me. Then he shook his head, mouthed the word “sorry” toward me and left the apartment. Another guy followed him, and we heard the door close a second time.

“Anyone else thinking of flirting with my girlfriend?” Kaden asked.

I froze. Dawn let out a squeak, and Scott gasped.

“What did you call me?” I stepped toward Kaden.

When he realized what he’d said, he didn’t seem so cocky anymore. “Actually I wanted to do this another way. I wasn’t expecting so many people. And Spidey was supposed to jump on you with a bow around his neck, and charm you off your feet. And I wanted to ask your forgiveness again and then ask you if you … Well, what’s the point?”

“This is worse than a soap opera. I’m out,” groaned the woman, who got up and left.

Of all the candidates only one guy remained. Confused, he looked from Kaden to me to Dawn and Scott and back.

“Well, I have nothing against soap operas,” he ventured. When Kaden glared at him, he took a step back.

“Aw, you’ll find another apartment. It’ll work out,” Dawn said, patting him on the shoulder. She nodded to Scott, and the two of them guided the fellow outside.

Leaving me alone with Kaden.

Kaden grinned and seemed pleased with the entire situation. As for me, I was still standing there in disbelief.

“Look who woke up!” Kaden squatted and tapped lightly on the floor. A ball of red wool came bouncing out of the free bedroom. Spidey the kitten took two cautious steps forward and pressed his nose to the floor, but wouldn’t cross the threshold to the living room.

“I checked it out with your landlady first, and took the kitty for his shots yesterday.” Kaden tried to coax the little fellow into the living room, but he seemed reluctant. Finally Kaden gave up trying and got up. “You can open the box now. Where is it?”

All I could do was point to my bedroom door. Kaden pulled me in after him. While he plopped down in my desk chair as he always used to do, I turned toward the large box, not knowing what else to do. I tore off the packing tape and folded back the lid. My eyebrows shot up. If these were sex toys, then Kaden had sought out the most unusual ones. There were balls and feathers, plastic birds and mice. And lots of …

“Kitty litter?” I blurted out. “You’re giving me kitty litter? That’s the special gift?”

“Not just any kitty litter. It has the same fragrance as your awful candles.”

Sure enough. The first bag was labeled “vanilla,” and the second “coconut.” Oh my God! I burst out laughing, so hard that tears dripped down my cheeks.

Through the blur I noticed that Kaden had stood and moved close to me. He reached out to touch my waist. I fell silent.

“I wanted to show you the tattoo now, and I did hope the cat would scare off the others … but I also don’t know what I was thinking with all this. To be honest, I learned a while back that it’s better not to depend on you when it comes to plans. ‘Cause you manage to make me throw all my plans and rules overboard.”