At Long Last (#5 FFAW) | ongoing

Chapter 7 - The Can of Worms

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Chapter 7 - The Can of Worms

"I'm sorry," I began as I entered the living room. "But Chez Lexi's do not offer milkshakes," I announced before setting a soda in front of Mikael who promptly rolled his eyes as a grin appeared.

"I kinda gathered that when you mocked me for bringing you to have a milkshake."

Heat bloomed in my cheeks and I knew I was flushing. "I said I was sorry about that, but you can hardly blame me," I protested as I settled beside him on the sofa. "How often would a grown man ask for a milkshake? My brothers don't even ask for one unless you mean my younger one. But not since he was fourteen."

"Rude," Mikael retorted before flicking a popcorn at me. To my chagrin, it hit my face before bouncing onto the ground.

"Hey!" I scowled and grabbed one of my cushions and swatted him on the head with it.

"I give," Mikael quickly interjected with a snort as the cushion smacked him hard on the face, almost causing the bowl of popcorn that was balancing perilously close on his lap to drop.

"Good."

Smugly, I settled back as Mikael wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "What are we watching?" I questioned as I snagged the bowl of popcorn away from him.

"Not a romcom," he replied smoothly and I sighed in satisfaction. "Good. I'm sick of those. Those were Kat's favourites."

Mikael made a sound that sounded suspiciously like 'fucking knew it' and immediately grinned.

It wasn't a secret that Kat outwardly trashed and made fun of romcoms, even going so far to call them the devil's way of brainwashing, but as her best friend, I was privy to all her secrets.

And speaking of Kat.

"Did Kat give you any trouble?" I asked as the opening credits started playing on the screen.

"Trouble?"

The wide nonchalant eyes gave it away. Mikael was actually really good at deflecting questions and changing subjects but living with three brothers, I was really good at reading faces. And after knowing Mikael for about three weeks and studying his facial expressions and actions, I was almost close to figuring out his tells.

"She did, didn't she?" I pressed and Mikael shrugged.

"She did." He lifted a brow as one of his fingers played with the ends of my hair. "You aren't mad at her, are you? She's just looking out for you."

"I know," I murmured before turning my attention back to the screen. "What did you say?"

Mikael paused and now, I was very aware of how close we were.

It was our second date but we had been texting regularly and it felt like I've known him for years instead of the scant few weeks that was actual reality. Somehow, I was just so comfortable with him. I couldn't explain it but I felt at ease with him.

That was something I couldn't say about many people. To be perfectly honest, I only had that feeling when I was with Kat and my youngest brother, Henry.

Was it terribly awful of me that I couldn't be myself when I was with my own family?

But here, with Mikael, I felt like I could be at my dorkiest self and he would most probably join me.

"I told her that I liked you a lot and I wouldn't hurt you."

My heart stopped and I could only freeze at those words that had left his lips and entered my heart. The tone that he had adopted was soft and warm and just awfully heartfelt that it made me speechless.