Be Rude but Love Me | ✔

CHAPTER 42

"Let's play some more," Lucy whines.

I roll my eyes at her and stand up. "We've been playing for more than two hours here. I need a break, Lucy."

"But I'm bored," she wails and pouts at me, as if doing so will make me change my mind. "Please, Sissy."

I leave the bedroom and head downstairs. A headache pounds against my forehead and temples and I grab a bottle of water in the fridge. When I close the door, I jump in fright at the sight of Lucy just behind me.

"Can I go see Russell? At least, he won't get tired after two hours." She scoffs at me.

I grab a pack of chips and as we both go outside, she snatches it from me. "Hey," I call to her, "give it back."

I run after her into the backyard and as I am about to call her name, the pack of chips comes flying back to me. I catch it just in time in surprise and frown as I wonder why she gave in so easily. I am about to open my mouth when I hear Lucy's high-pitched scream.

"Yann!" She cheers and throws herself at him. "I missed you."

I watch as he takes her in his arms and spins her around. "Me too, you brat." He smiles at her before putting her down.

She smiles at him and says, "I was just telling Tracy we needed to go to your house," she says.

"Really? What for?" He asks.

"Need a friend to play." She grins up at him.

Yann smiles brightly again and, crouching at her level, says, "And you were coming to me?"

"No, I was coming to see Russell." And she grins up at him again, as if saying that she wanted to spend time with a dog instead of a human being wasn't – a little – offensive.

She spots Russell as he finally arrives in the backyard – he was probably peeing in some bushes nearby. Yann is slightly taken aback by Lucy's words but recovers quickly with a roll of his eyes.

Lucy jogs happily past him, not even glancing back at me. As Yann gets back up, he finally notices me standing by the backdoor. His lips spread out in a wide grin and he comes to me.

"Hi," he whispers as he dips his head a little to look into my eyes.

"Hi," I reply, biting the inside of my lip.

He lifts my chin with one finger and asks, "When are you going to stop blushing, Tracy?" Dammit, I wasn't even aware I was blushing.

"When I get used to it." I reply.

He smirks and I frown as to why he's smirking. "Once you get used to the idea that we did it or once we've done it enough times?"

I jerk my chin away and roll my eyes at him. "You want to come in?"

He follows me inside the kitchen. I ask him if he wants to eat something but he declines, saying he's already eaten. I ask him if he wants something to drink, but he declines as well. I'm looking for chips in the pantry when I feel his breath on my neck.

I freeze on the spot, anticipating his next move, but it never comes because at that precise moment, Lucy's screams and Russell's joyous barks fill the house.

Yann moves away from me and we both turn to face Lucy who's entering the house and requesting Yann's assistance in the living room. She disappears with Russell and Yann follows her. I watch his back, his hair, until he's out of sight.

I stay in the kitchen for a moment, eating my chips as I think of his words. Once we've done it enough times. It makes me smile to think that he wants this to happen again, that he wants this to last, whatever this is between us.

I've honestly tried not thinking about him too much but I can't. I'm not talking about our near lovemaking but about his feelings – or lack of feelings – for me. Does he feel the same way? Or even a tiny fraction of what I myself feel for him? Or does he simply see me as a sort of friend? Or a sort of friend with benefits? Those are the questions that torture my mind at night or whenever I'm left alone.