Cupid's Assistant {Completed}

Cupid's Assistant - Chapter Twenty-Two

         That night, when our parents were home, Ashton and I walked down the stairs hand-in-hand with matching goofy grins on our faces.

         Henry and my mom were in the kitchen laughing over something when we appeared, and their faces both sobered as they took in our current position.

         They traded matching looks and then broke into matching grins. “Finally,” my mother said, giving a dramatic eyeroll.

         “It’s about bloody time,” Henry agreed, nodding along with my mother.

         I laughed as Ashton pulled me closer. It really was a long time coming, wasn’t it?

         “But now that it’s here,” Henry continued, sipping his glass of red wine as his eyes never left us. “I think we need to set some ground rules.”

         Neither of us objected. We already knew this was how it was going to be. We had talked about it earlier. There would be complications, but we had decided that it was worth the problems and obstacles though.

         “Okay,” I said. “What are they?”

         “First off, no sneaking around at night,” Henry said. “Remember we’re still in the house, okay? So control your teenage hormones.”

         “Dad,” Ashton groaned, our cheeks both flaming at what he was insinuating.

         He shrugged. “I’m just being honest, son. I was a teenager once, and I know what it’s like.”

         “Okay,” I said, nodding understandingly and wanting to shift the attention off of this uncomfortable situation. “No sneaking around. What else?”

         “No mushy PDA’s,” my mom piped in. “We don’t want to be coming in to watch some TV and catch you making out on the couch.”

         She actually thought we’d do that? We’d be more embarrassed than she would be.

         “Okay,” I confirmed. “We can do that. Anything else?”

         Henry and my mom shrugged, seeming like they’d gotten all of the parental stuff out of their system. “Just behave yourselves.”

         We nodded affirmatively. “Okay. I think we can handle that.”

         ~        *        ~

         “I just can’t believe how perfect anything is!” I exclaimed happily two weeks later at the Coffee Shack to Charlie and Harper as we conversed over lattes and laughed like the high school girls we were.

         And it was true; things had been amazing. Hunter and I were still on friendly terms, Ashton was amazing, and my dad and I were on pretty friendly terms and getting better. So far we’d had a couple dinners together and two lunches. I wanted to see more of him and make up for the time we lost. He really was a nice, genuine guy once I’d gotten over the initial offence that had come from him leaving me.

         Charlie grinned and nudged my foot under the table. “See? I told you everything would work out!”

         I nodded. “I know.”

         “Isn’t it funny how much everything has changed in the last five months?” Charlie asked, running a hand through her blonde curls. “I mean, five months ago, you and him were just business partners. Then you were a couple, then you split and turned into enemies, and now you’re back to being the It Couple.”

         I grinned and lowered my eyes, shaking my head as a blush came on. “I know. It’s amazing.”

         “Hey, Mia?” Harper said slowly, looking at me over the rim of her coffee mug. I met her cool blue eyes.

         “Yeah, Harper?” I asked.

         “Um, I have something to confess,” Harper said nervously, fiddling with the mug handle and avoiding my eyes.

         “What is it?” I asked, my stomach flipping in nervousness. This was never good, and I felt nervousness twisting my stomach.

         “Hunter and I kinda went on a date Friday night,” Harper admitted, blushing slightly and downcasting her eyes.

         My eyebrows flew up in surprise, and my face broke into a grin. “Really? That’s amazing!”

         “What?” Harper asked, her brow creasing. It was obviously not the response she was expecting. I don’t know what she thought I’d do, but I was happy.

         “Hunter’s a great guy,” I told her. “He’ll treat you right. And he deserves a girl like you. And vice versa.”

        

         She smiled happily. “I’m glad you’re okay with it, because I really like him, Mia,” she confided.

         I smiled. “Well, then I’m ecstatic for you.” I turned to Charlie. “Now we just have to find someone for you.”

         “I kinda have someone, too,” she told me.

         I cocked an eyebrow, surprised at this bit of news. What, was I suddenly just not worth divulging secrets to now? “Really? Who?”

         She smiled. “Mike.”

         I scrunched up my face, shocked. My mouth opened and closed a couple of times before I was able to form a sentence. “As in Mike Taylor? As in Mikey?”

         She nodded enthusiastically. “I know it seems weird and he doesn’t seem like my type, but he’s amazing.”

         I smiled, sluggishly processing this small bit of information. “Okay, well then I hope you can tame the player. Everyone deserves to be happy.”

         “If I remember correctly, you tamed the player,” Harper said, eyes glittering in amusement.

         I smirked as well and leant back in my seat, knowing she was true. “That I did, Harper dear. That I did.”