Just a Crush (Just Lovers, #1)

Chapter 6: Cries & Games

"I feel like we haven't seen you in ages," Oliver greets me as soon as I walk through Jenny's entrance door, tugging me into his chest for a hug.

My hands freeze in the air at the welcome home. Eventually, after coming back to my senses, I wrap my hands around his waist so I can snuggle into his warmth.

Ollie has always been a good hugger.

"It's only been a week, Oliver, and I've been busy painting something to sell. You know, things people do to earn money?" I poke his side. He jerks away from me, giving me the glare he makes whenever he doesn't like something one of us does.

"Too busy going on dates with the pretty girl?" Avery calls from her seat on the couch, a smirk on her face as she sucks on a lollipop.

My cheeks heat up. I try to hide it by clearing my throat and step further into the house, putting my overnight bag by the kitchen island so I can take it upstairs later after this conversation starter is done and over with.

"There were only two dates, Aves. Nothing extra serious," I dismiss and dance my way over to her so I can lean over the back of the couch and kiss her forehead.

"Aww, don't try to be cute to change the subject, young lady," she threatens, her smile betraying her tough persona.

"I'm not changing anything. I simply stated that things are not serious with Ellie and I just yet. We went out, liked each other's presence enough to go on a second date the following week and now I am here, a week after the first date, telling you all about it."

I don't bother walking around the couch. Instead, I jump right over the back of it and settle under a light-weight plaid blanket with Avery, twisting our arms together and cuddling into her side.

There truly were only two dates with Ellie. Yes, we exchange text messages at least once a day, but so far I can't say I see exclusivity forming on the horizon.

Not because she isn't a great girl to spend time with because she truly is. She's amazing and anyone would be fortunate to be able to go out with her. I liked spending time in her presence. Both the time we were interrupted during the first date and on the second date where she took me to a local bookstore so we could purchase a book from the genre the two of us liked and read it on a picnic blanket in the same park we went to last week.

We didn't just read. Ellie decided to make it a bit more fun and between each two pages we had to say a fact about ourselves out loud to get to know each other in a fun way. Although it did take me much longer to read than it did her. She couldn't have known about my reading struggles and I didn't want to ruin her plan. I tried my best, using all the tips I have gathered through the years in the 2 hours we spent under that tree, struggling through the pages.

We could have sat there, leaning against a tree, and just talked, but I liked her creativity. There wasn't time for any awkward silences during the conversation and that was nice. I didn't make a complete fool of myself by trying to flirt with her again after the first time at the party.

I found out volleyball is her ultimate destination in life if a coach notices her. She found out more about my passion for painting. I learnt about her family - like the fact she has two loving dads and she was brought to them thanks to a surrogate. Which led to a prolonged talk about our families and so on.

All that was nice.

Only there is a small hiccup on the road because nice isn't doing me any good with my journey.

Each time she kisses me, each time she leans over and closes her eyes, my mind wanders somewhere it shouldn't. I am too aware of it doing so because, as guilty as it makes me feel, pictures of Josephine keep popping up in my mind even when I try to push them away.