Just Pretend

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jason

I can't say that I'm not excited about the prospect of living with Gwen and seeing her every day.

'I'll have to consider it,' I find myself saying and she smiles, nodding and turns her attention to Carrie.

Why did I say that?

I know what I want.

Not long after Gwen asks me to move in with her in a roommate capacity, Clarissa brings Gwen and I a plate of food before running back to the kitchen and getting her own plate.

She sits down on the couch where Alyssa and Will usually sits and waits on her parents.

When they walk in, they sit on either side of her, and we all tuck into food catered by my father's favourite caterer – his gift to Clarissa.

Clarissa watches her favourite movie of the week while we eat, the sound of the animation filling the room.

Once we're done with dinner, Gwen stands to gather the dishes and I follow her into the kitchen to help with the dishes. Gwen absentmindedly tells Carrie, who's also following her, to go sit with Clarissa before filling a basin with water.

'Did you mean it?' I ask and she turns to face me while water slowly falls in the basin. Her expression is weary when she meets my eyes but her words answer my question better than a direct answer ever can.

'Do you want me to have meant it?'

That's Gwen-speak for: Yes, I did mean it but I want to know your reaction first.

I answer with my own question and she smiles in response, turning back to the water.

'What do you think?'

I know it's not the most subtle question but it's enough that if anyone were to have overheard this conversation; they wouldn't know what it's about.

I dry the dishes that she washes quickly and she asks me to keep an eye on Carrie while she gets something from her house. I nod and she leaves through the living room, telling my family she'll be right back.

I stall for time by packing away the dishes; plate by plate, fork by fork, and knife by knife.

I drag my feet on the way out of the kitchen and relief washes through me when I see Gwen heading back towards the house, carrying a plastic bowl in her hands.

She walks inside with a smile and whispers to Clarissa to help her in the kitchen. Clarissa takes one look at the white-coated freezer bowl and stands up, putting Carrie calmly on the couch between her parents before running at full speed to the kitchen.

Gwen laughs as she walks at a much slower pace than Clarissa.

'Homemade German chocolate ice cream,' she says at the questioning looks from all of us, and Will groans with anticipation.

'Where do you find the time?' Will asks and Gwen grins at him.

'I'm single and I now control my own shopping,' she says simply and Will laughs, cutting his eyes to me. I pull a face at him behind Gwen's back when she passes me to the kitchen.

I sit back down on the couch and Carrie immediately jumps down from between Alyssa and Will to jump up beside me and rests her head on my knee.

Will snorts at this but doesn't say anything when I look at him but Alyssa smirks and opens her mouth.

'You look pretty domestic, J-man,' she says, using my old high school nickname, and I scowl at her before shrugging. Then Will grows the balls to tell me exactly what I told Carrie earlier.