and gave it to him. “We need a gallon of this and a gallon of white ceiling pant.”
“It won’t take long,” the man said.
I watched as he mixed the colors and then the machine shook it. For some reason this process had always amazed me.
Caeden ventured down the aisle and returned with paint pans, rollers, and brushes. He put them down on the counter while we waited for the paint to finish mixing.
“Here you are,” he handed the two jugs of paint to Caeden. “Check out’s over there,” he pointed.
“Thank you,” I called to the man as he left to do something else. I gathered the paint supplies in my arms and followed Caeden to the checkout.
The cashier entered the prices of the paint , scanned the other items, and I pulled out my gift card.
“Have a nice day,” she said, giving me the receipt.
Outside, Caeden took the helmets out and placed the paint there instead. He tossed a helmet to me and said, “Please, no screaming this time.”
“I ’m making no promises Williams’. ”
He chuckled. “I’ll probably lose all my hearing.”
“What a shame,” I said. “I think the punishment is just for forcing me on this… this… creature,” I pointed to the bike.
He stuck the helmet on my head to shut me up.
Caeden climbed on the bike and put his helmet on. He tilted his head towards me.
“Are- aren’t you going to- to- start it?” I stuttered.
“I was going to wait until you got on this time,” he said.
“Oh,” I played with my fingers. I gulped and swung my leg over and then wrapped my arms around his muscular middle. My heart was beating so fast I was sure he could feel it through the thin cotton if his shirt.
He started the bike and it growled beneath me. I screamed and some guy turned to look at me befo re shaking his head and chuckling under his breath. Jerkface .
Caeden peeled out of the parking lot, going faster than he had before, and my fingernails dug into his abdomen.
I silently thanked the gods of really fast things that I didn’t live very far from the hardware store.
Luckily, I did start to ease up a bit. My muscles loosened and I relaxed. Caeden pulled in the driveway and cut the engine.
“Well?”
“That was better the second time,” I breathed.
He laughed as he removed his helmet. “Really? I thought you were going to forcibly remove the skin off my stomach.
“Sorry,” I released him and climbed off. My legs were still shaky but not nearly as much as the first time. Caeden removed the paint and then took my helmet from my head. He locked up the helmets, grabbed the paint, and started for the door.
“Are you coming?” he called over his shoulder.
Right foot, then left foot, then right. I had to force my quaking legs to move. I’m sure I looked like a bumbling drunk.
Gram was gone; working at the store, so the house was quiet. Archie snoozed peacefully on the couch.
Caeden set the paint down in my room and turned to me. “Target first? Or paint first?”
“Let’s paint first so that it can be drying while we’re gone .”
“Good idea,” he said.
We moved my mattress and furniture out into the hallway before draping the carpet with old sheets.
“Thank your mom again for me. She didn’t need to give me that bed,” I pointed to the black old-fashioned iron bed.
When Amy had heard that Caeden was helping me redecorate my room she had smiled enthusiastically and asked us to follow her. We ended up in a storage room off the basement I’d never noticed before.
“Do you like it?” she had asked motioning to bed frame.
“I love it,” I said , fingering its smooth surface.
“Then it’s yours .”
“Oh no, I couldn’t,” I had said.
“Yes, you can. I want you to have it. It’s just sitting down here, never being used. Take it.”
“Are you sure?” I bit my lip.
“Of
“It won’t take long,” the man said.
I watched as he mixed the colors and then the machine shook it. For some reason this process had always amazed me.
Caeden ventured down the aisle and returned with paint pans, rollers, and brushes. He put them down on the counter while we waited for the paint to finish mixing.
“Here you are,” he handed the two jugs of paint to Caeden. “Check out’s over there,” he pointed.
“Thank you,” I called to the man as he left to do something else. I gathered the paint supplies in my arms and followed Caeden to the checkout.
The cashier entered the prices of the paint , scanned the other items, and I pulled out my gift card.
“Have a nice day,” she said, giving me the receipt.
Outside, Caeden took the helmets out and placed the paint there instead. He tossed a helmet to me and said, “Please, no screaming this time.”
“I ’m making no promises Williams’. ”
He chuckled. “I’ll probably lose all my hearing.”
“What a shame,” I said. “I think the punishment is just for forcing me on this… this… creature,” I pointed to the bike.
He stuck the helmet on my head to shut me up.
Caeden climbed on the bike and put his helmet on. He tilted his head towards me.
“Are- aren’t you going to- to- start it?” I stuttered.
“I was going to wait until you got on this time,” he said.
“Oh,” I played with my fingers. I gulped and swung my leg over and then wrapped my arms around his muscular middle. My heart was beating so fast I was sure he could feel it through the thin cotton if his shirt.
He started the bike and it growled beneath me. I screamed and some guy turned to look at me befo re shaking his head and chuckling under his breath. Jerkface .
Caeden peeled out of the parking lot, going faster than he had before, and my fingernails dug into his abdomen.
I silently thanked the gods of really fast things that I didn’t live very far from the hardware store.
Luckily, I did start to ease up a bit. My muscles loosened and I relaxed. Caeden pulled in the driveway and cut the engine.
“Well?”
“That was better the second time,” I breathed.
He laughed as he removed his helmet. “Really? I thought you were going to forcibly remove the skin off my stomach.
“Sorry,” I released him and climbed off. My legs were still shaky but not nearly as much as the first time. Caeden removed the paint and then took my helmet from my head. He locked up the helmets, grabbed the paint, and started for the door.
“Are you coming?” he called over his shoulder.
Right foot, then left foot, then right. I had to force my quaking legs to move. I’m sure I looked like a bumbling drunk.
Gram was gone; working at the store, so the house was quiet. Archie snoozed peacefully on the couch.
Caeden set the paint down in my room and turned to me. “Target first? Or paint first?”
“Let’s paint first so that it can be drying while we’re gone .”
“Good idea,” he said.
We moved my mattress and furniture out into the hallway before draping the carpet with old sheets.
“Thank your mom again for me. She didn’t need to give me that bed,” I pointed to the black old-fashioned iron bed.
When Amy had heard that Caeden was helping me redecorate my room she had smiled enthusiastically and asked us to follow her. We ended up in a storage room off the basement I’d never noticed before.
“Do you like it?” she had asked motioning to bed frame.
“I love it,” I said , fingering its smooth surface.
“Then it’s yours .”
“Oh no, I couldn’t,” I had said.
“Yes, you can. I want you to have it. It’s just sitting down here, never being used. Take it.”
“Are you sure?” I bit my lip.
“Of
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