The Checklist by Addie Woolridge (famous ebook reader txt) 📕

the excitement on his features. They were nearing their parents’ respective homes, and suddenly Dylan felt like walking much more slowly. If they reached their driveways, the magic of the moment would die in the floodlight of the Robinsons’ motion sensor.

Mike must have noticed the hesitation in her pace, because he looked down at her, concern scrawled across his forehead. “Dylan, are you all right? I don’t mean to pry, but breakups are hard. You don’t have to answer the question beyond yes or no, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you candidly.” He took a deep breath, pulling the shirt tight across his chest, a hint of a joke crossing his face. “I mean, he did understand what a routine meant to you.”

She laughed, rolling her eyes at her own reasoning. “Routines are overrated.” Nicolas was the last thing on her mind. However, there was no polite way to tell Mike that she was more interested in what was happening under his button-up, so she settled for, “You know, I think I am. Who knows, maybe it is just shock, but believe it or not, I’m kind of okay with the whole thing.”

The skepticism slowly abated from Mike’s brow. “I believe you, but I also believe that just because everyone else thinks he was a jerk doesn’t mean he lacked any redemptive qualities. You lived with him for years, so I’d understand if you are hurt by it ending and want to be able to express—”

“You are a very good, sweet person. You know that?” Dylan interrupted, suddenly torn between breaking the spell and falling into his orbit. “Really, I drove over a flower bed to break away. I’m fine.”

“I’ll take your word for it. All I’m saying is that it’s okay to not be okay. If you ever want to talk, I’m here.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I’m at my parents’ place all the time. You are always welcome to come over to the house . . . as long as you don’t drive through our front lawn afterward.” Mike smirked and turned toward his driveway.

“I’ll leave that to my parents.”

“That’s all I ask,” Mike said before stopping midmotion and tilting his head to one side. “Actually, hold on.”

Mike stepped deliberately into her space, his expression focused and steady. His eyes were dark, and the intensity made Dylan feel hot all over. Her lungs stopped working, her heart fluttering in her chest. She looked up at him. Mike bit down on his bottom lip as he reached up, running a hand along the side of her face. Was he actually going to kiss her in the middle of the road, between their parents’ houses?

Dylan’s lips parted unconsciously as he leaned closer, still holding her gaze. If she was going to put a stop to this, the time was now. She forced air into her lungs but felt the sentence she should say make its way back down her throat as Mike’s hand gently cupped the side of her face. Who was she kidding? She would not be putting a stop to this, parental wrath or no.

He moved an inch to the side, sending a tingle of anticipation through her. Seconds seemed to tick by as Mike’s gaze jumped down to her lips, then flicked back up to her eyes. His breathing slowed to a whisper of a movement, and Dylan felt her thoughts haze over with desire. If he delayed this kiss any longer, she was sure she would lose her mind. He ran a thumb over her left cheekbone, then drew his hand away and stepped back.

“Eyelash,” he said, holding his hand out to her.

“What?” The word came out sharper than Dylan intended.

“Eyelash. What did you think was going to happen?” Mike’s expression was somewhere between naughty delight and mock innocence.

“Not . . .” Dylan opened her mouth, searching for words. She felt like she had run headfirst into a brick wall, her senses completely disoriented. He was supposed to be kissing her right now, not waving stray body hair in her face.

She could almost strangle him. Of course he wasn’t going to kiss her in the middle of the road. The guy was a general flirt and sworn enemy of the family. Dylan gave herself a shake and tried again. “The way you were moving all slow. I thought it was a bug or something.”

“A bug? You didn’t think anything else?” Mike said, looking down at the eyelash he held. Gazing back at her, he raised his hand and blew gently on his thumb. The gesture shouldn’t have been sexy, but it was making Dylan wild.

“Yes. I mean, no. What else could it be?” Her head was officially a mess. She needed to get out of the middle of the road before she humiliated herself any further.

“I was asking you,” Mike said, a playful lift at the corners of his mouth as he looked her up and down.

“Apparently, an eyelash.” Dylan eyed her parents’ front yard. Unfortunately, her father had recently added lights to the Tiger, so there was no way she could hide behind it until Mike left and she could retrieve her dignity from where she had dropped it at his feet.

“Well, if that’s it. I’ll let you go inside.” Mike exhaled slowly.

She wasn’t sure if she had truly never been a hugger or if so much time with Nicolas had turned her into someone who “didn’t do hugs,” but either way, now seemed like a bad time to sort that out. Instead, she reached out and patted Mike’s bicep. In the moment, it seemed like the best in-between action. In the split second afterward, she was sure it was the most awkward of all possible options. She had just enough time to notice his bicep flexing under her touch when Mike looked down at her hand and then back at her as if he was suppressing a laugh.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said, shaking his head and walking backward out of her reach.

“Night,” she said, putting