Page 105 of Like You Want It

“I figure she’d rather wake up in the morning and be near Nell than be woken up and sent home.”

Carly bobs her head. “Totally agree.” Then she looks around, her eyes taking everything in.

“Do you wanna… come hang out on the couch?” I ask, pausing awkwardly in the middle. The words feel strange on my tongue.

When was the last time I asked a girl to hang out?

She gives me a shy smile. “Yeah. That sounds good.”

We make our way over to the living room, each of us settling into my massive L-shaped couch that faces a TV that rivals the largest ones I’ve ever seen.

“That is… probably the biggest television I’ve ever seen in my life,” Carly says, awe in her voice. “I saw it earlier, but I didn’t want to comment on it in front of everyone. You know how men are about size. It just becomes a competition.”

I snicker.

“But I bet movies look so amazing on this.”

I nod. “Absolutely. Susie wants us to start doing dinner here since I have a 4K hookup.”

“That would be fun, though I worry if the dinner moves to your house that…” She cuts off her sentence. “Never mind.”

“What were you going to say?”

She shakes her head.

“Come on.”

Carly sighs. “It’s stupid and immature. I just… I worry whether or not I’ll be invited.” Her eyes flick to me, then quickly look away. “If you’re in charge. It might just go back to you and Susie.”

Carly has always given out this incredible confidence to the world whenever I’ve been around. But the past few times I’ve talked to her, I’ve begun to see this other side to her. The one that wonders if other people want her around, think she’s a failure, don’t approve of her choices.

I know she loves who she is, but she also struggles with believing anyone else does. And it breaks my heart.

“Carly.”

She looks at me.

“You will always be welcome at my house. No matter what, I will never allow anything between you and I to come between you and Susie. I promise.”

She gives me a shy smile, then snuggles in further to her corner.

We’ve shoved ourselves into the couch’s corners, our legs reaching out towards each other, resting next to each other. And without thinking, I run a finger along the top of Carly’s foot.

She yanks it back, a startled yelp coming from her.

My mouth drops open. “Is… are you ticklish?”

She launches off of the couch and stands behind it, creating a massive barrier, and refusing to answer.

But that close-lipped smile on her face says yes.

“Fin,” she says, pointing a finger at me as I slowly move to standing. “BenjaFin. I do not like to be tickled.”

I nod, smiling at the new nickname, then stepping closer to her. “Where are you going?” I ask.

Her eyes narrow and she edges away.

We both stand still for what feels like a really long period of time.