Childhood Crush | ✓

Chapter 3: The Welcome Back Party

"Lulu! Stay still!" I scold as I push Lulu back into the bathtub for the hundredth time. Adrian laughs as she jumps on to the side again and splashes even more water on us. My clothes went from soggy to soaking in just a few minutes of bathing her and there's a mini flood in the bathroom. Adrian, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying getting splashed with dog water  while kneeling in a small puddle.

Lulu jumps back on the side and shakes her fur out. "Lulu!" I groan.

Adrian laughs and points at Lulu."Bad girl! Get back in the tub and stay!" Obediently, Lulu jumps back into the tub and stays put.

"Oh, okay. I'll just call Adrian over the next time you don't listen to me." I mumble as Adrian begins to scrub her fur. I take the shower head and wash the soap off.

"Didn't you hear? I became a dog whisperer in the last four years I've been gone." He teases. Lulu looks up and starts to slap the water, grunting.

"She's usually not like this, you know." I tell him.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup."

"And why is that?"

"Hmm.." I raise the shower head higher as Lulu begins to get jumpy again. "Maybe it's because of the presence of a famous star." I gasp dramatically.

"So I steal the hearts of girls and dogs as well, huh?" Adrian chuckles splashing me with water.

I quickly flick the shower head in his direction so it wets him a little. "Gotten cocky, Adrian?"

Adrian stands up and looks at his wet shirt. "Hey! Easy on the water, Mace. I have people to woo later."

I roll my eyes as turn off the water before turning around to get a towel. "Adrian!" I exclaim. A shirtless Adrian was standing over the sink, wringing his damp shirt.

"What? Oh come on, Mace. You've seen me shirtless before." He tells me.

That's true, I've seen him shirtless before many times. Four years ago, that is. My eyes wonder down to his six pack and toned biceps that wasn't there back then. Adrian used to be just skinny now he's all built. Adrian leans back against the counter and smiles at me. "You done checking me out?"

I scoff and push him aside so I can get a towel out of the drawer. "How did you become so cocky and egotistic over four years?"

He holds my gaze for what seemed like forever, his brown eyes boring into mine. "It's a secret, babe." Adrian winked at me. I narrowed my eyes at him before realizing the username that I talked to last night. I gasped.

"You were that guy I was talking to last night, weren't you?"

"Well, haven't you gotten slower over the years." Adrian smirked. I rolled my eyes and whipped him with the towel.

"A big ego isn't good for a person, Adrian." I state coldly before walking past him.

"Mace, I–"

"Lulu!" I cried out when she jumped out of the tub. Lulu dashes out the door, tripping me in the process. I stumbled into Adrian's hard chest.

"You really need to stop falling for me." He snickered. I glared at him before tearing out of his arms and running out of the bathroom. I almost slipped over Lulu's wet trail a few times. I heard a few screams and hollers from the living room. I ran in and found Lulu sprinting around the room with people sitting on the couches and their feet up.

I ran after her but she started running like a madman. "Lulu!" I called out. "Lulu, what are you doing?!" Lulu ran into the kitchen and swerved between Kelly and Emma's legs. Adrian ran into the kitchen, still shirtless, and tried to catch her. Only to run right into me and almost making me fall if not for him clamping his hands on my waist.