Be Rude but Love Me | ✔

CHAPTER 33

He frowns at me as he removes the oven mitts. "Which one?"

I look back, making sure Ellie isn't there. I whisper, "Do you like Ellie?"

Will avoids my gaze for a moment as he pretends to busy himself with removing all trace of Ellie's disastrous attempt at making dessert. "She's my best friend, Tracy." That's all he says.

I keep observing him, keep watching as he avoids my gaze. "That doesn't mean anything," I say. "Best friends fall in love all the time."

"Not Ellie and I." He says, his tone final so I know not to push it.

"Okay." Then, just because I don't want things to stay awkward between us, I dive into a new topic. "Do you cook every day?"

He nods before going back to the stove. "The least I can do for my parents since I haven't chosen a college near home."

"And why not? Not for the same reason as me, I hope." I take a seat on a stool and watch him move around, completely at ease.

He chuckles heartily. "What's that reason?" I tell him I was fleeing Lucy's unbearableness (which is not true, of course, it's only half the truth.) This time, a loud laugh fills the kitchen. "Is she that bad?" The look I give him is enough of an answer to him. "I actually got into my dream school which I thought I wouldn't, and I told myself this wasn't an opportunity to miss."

"For someone studying journalism, you sure as hell are blind to some things," I say.

He looks at me questioningly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I only shrug. "One day you'll know."

At this instant, Ellie walks back into the room and I hear her footsteps as they resonate on the floor. "Let's set the table and leave Mr. Will here to his cooking, shall we?"

She doesn't wait for my answer and starts pulling plates out. I see Will glare at her before he opens the cupboard and pulls out glasses.

"Actually," he says, "I'm done cooking."

He storms past her into the dining room and I smile at the both of them. They do like each other.

I don't wait to follow them with the salad bowl and silverware. I walk past Will who's setting down empty glasses on the table. Will completely – and childishly – ignores Ellie and hits me whenever he can with a kitchen cloth, making jokes.

I miss a blow by a few inches "Will, would you stop!"

He wiggles his eyebrows as he smirks at me. "No."

And as we're done with the table and have nothing left to do, he begins to run after me. It doesn't take me long to react and I race outside the kitchen, leaving Ellie behind as she watches us with a frown on her face. I'd say she almost looks jealous.

"Stop, I'm too old for these games, Will."

But my words don't stop him. I stand, shielded from him by the small sofa between us. He appears to be full of energy, a large smile eating up most of his face. And before I know it, he jumps over the sofa and almost catches me. I make a dash for the kitchen once more, and I scream, yell at him, plead him to leave me alone but he refuses to listen.

The merciless heat of the summer doesn't help much as I don't stop running around, sweat drenching my clothes. I'm running towards the front door like a man chased by a hungry lion – no chance of escaping – when two arms wrap around my waist and pull me back. As I said, no chance of escaping.

"Gotcha!"

My shrill screams pierce through the house just as the front door opens before us. There, in the doorway stands Will's mother with a man carrying grocery bags behind her.