Tangled Hearts

011

After a long evening of gaming and talking, it was time to wind down. Walker had been teasing me non-stop lately, his flirty comments and lingering touches making it impossible to ignore the tension between us. But I wasn't about to let him get to me—at least, not without a fight.

As we wrapped up our last game, the door to Walker's room creaked open, and Ellie peeked in, a knowing smile on her face as she took in the sight of us sitting together. Walker's arms had been loosely draped around me, guiding my hands on the controller, but I quickly moved away, my cheeks burning as I stood up.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" Ellie asked, her voice full of mischief.

"Nope, nothing like that," I said quickly. "What's up?"

"I was going to pick up the pizza we ordered earlier. Want to come with me?" Ellie offered, clearly trying to give us a break from the tension.

I glanced at Walker, who gave me a nonchalant shrug. "Go ahead. I'll set up the movie for when you get back."

With a nod, I grabbed my jacket and followed Ellie out into the cool night air. The drive to the pizza place was quiet at first, but then Ellie spoke up, her tone teasing.

"You and Walker have been getting close, huh?"

I could feel my face heat up again. "We're just friends, Ellie."

"Uh-huh, sure," she replied with a grin. "Friends who can't keep their hands off each other."

I didn't have a good response to that, so I stayed silent, my mind replaying the last few days. Walker's teasing, the way he looked at me, the casual touches—it was all starting to feel like more than just friendship.

When we got back to the house, everyone eagerly dug into the pizza. Walker made sure to sit next to me, his arm brushing against mine as we ate. There was an easy comfort between us, but the undercurrent of something more was undeniable.

After everyone had their fill, Walker showed Ellie and Aryan to the guest room. I decided to change into my pajamas—a cute set I'd packed without really thinking about it. Something about Walker's recent behavior made me want to see how far I could push him.

When I came back to his room, Walker was already lying in bed, propped up against the pillows with the TV on. His eyes widened slightly when he saw me, taking in the sight of my pajamas.

"Wow," he murmured, clearly impressed.

I smirked, feeling a little bolder. "What? Never seen pajamas before?"

"Not like that," he replied, his voice low and teasing. "You're going to make it hard to focus on the movie."

I rolled my eyes, but I could feel my heart racing. "Well, get used to it," I said, climbing onto the bed beside him. I settled in under the covers, keeping a comfortable distance.

Walker started the movie—*Deadpool*, of course—and we lay there in silence, watching the action unfold. But it wasn't long before Walker's hand found mine under the covers, his fingers intertwining with mine. I glanced at him, but he kept his eyes on the screen, acting like it was the most natural thing in the world.

As the movie went on, I found myself leaning closer to him, the warmth of his body drawing me in. At some point, my head ended up resting on his shoulder, and I was too tired to care about what it might mean.

Just as I was starting to doze off, Walker's voice cut through the haze of sleep.

"You look gorgeous," he whispered, his breath warm against my ear.

"Huh?" I mumbled, barely awake.

Walker shifted so that he was looking right at me, his eyes soft and full of something I couldn't quite read. "First, you show up in my room wearing the hottest pajamas I've ever seen, then you hold my hand during the movie... and now you expect me not to kiss you?"

That woke me up completely. I turned my head to meet his gaze, my heart pounding in my chest. There was a challenge in his eyes, a playful glint that made it impossible to look away.

"Well," I said, trying to match his tone. "I wouldn't want to disappoint you."

A slow grin spread across his face. "Good."

Before I could say anything else, Walker leaned in, capturing my lips in a kiss that sent my thoughts spiraling. It was soft at first, then more insistent, as if he'd been waiting for this moment just as much as I had. I responded without hesitation, my hands finding their way to his hair, pulling him closer.

When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathless. Walker rested his forehead against mine, his eyes still closed as he smiled. "You're trouble, you know that?"

"Maybe," I whispered back. "But you seem to like it."

He chuckled softly, pulling me closer as we settled back into the pillows. With my head on his chest and his arms around me, the tension between us melted away, replaced by something softer, more certain.

As the credits rolled, I found myself drifting off to sleep, Walker's hand gently stroking my hair. "Goodnight," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Goodnight," I murmured back, finally letting sleep take over.