Chapter 28:
Chapter 28:
“Why do I feel like I am missing something?”-Cassidy
Cassidy
Hearing that Oren thought sleeping together with Remi in a larger bed would help me sleep better and that Remington was worried about me not sleeping well warmed my insides. But the uncertainty in Remi’s voice about how sleeping together might lull my protective side stung. He knows I am protective of him, but maybe it’s the idea that we aren’t a real couple that gives him doubts. I wasn’t aware he noticed my restlessness until it was mentioned this morning.
“You could always push the beds together for now,” Uncle Jaxson suggests as he takes a seat at the breakfast table.
“I’ll help you,” Jasper volunteers and I chuckle.
“I guess you all won’t rest until you know I am sleeping better,” I reply, shaking my head.
“Well, if you are having a hard time sleeping, you know what helps with that…” my cousin Corbin chuckles.
“Corbin! Not in front of your younger cousins!” Grandma and mom scold in unison.
Remi blushes and hides his grin behind his hands. He’s so adorable! I know he doesn’t think of me in a sexual way, but I love the way that suggestion makes his cheeks turn pink. It makes me want to tempt fate and kiss him.
“I think that is enough talk about my restlessness and Remi’s and my personal lives,” I sigh, taking Remi’s hand in mine.
Remi’s eyes meet mine and his blush deepens.
Sometimes, I wonder how it is that I can know my best friend so well, yet constantly feel like I am missing the meaning behind something. His blush for example. He knows there is nothing to be shy or embarrassed about around me, yet he blushes so often.
Mom and Grandma start bringing food to the table and Remi quickly stands along with Jasper and Aunt Robin, all rushing to help. The large and varied breakfast covers the table and we chatter as we pass platters and bowls amongst ourselves. I love how Remi blends perfectly into my family despite his usual distaste of large groups. Too bad, we can’t have this for real. He would be the perfect mate.
“Come on, you don’t have to do this! Remi and I can sort it on our own,” I groan as mom sends Uncle Morgan and Uncle Jaxson to the basement because she thinks she has a bed frame that will hold both extra long twin mattresses to make a king sized bed for us.
Jasper laughs and plops down on Remi’s bed next to him then asks, “SO what is it like dating my older cousin?”
Remi’s eyes go wide and he coughs before replying, “Cassidy is…he is sweet and thoughtful and he takes care of me when I am a mess, but he’s also the reason for a lot of my stress.”
“That sounds about right,” Mom says with a laugh. “He has ALWAYS caused me stress, but not so much in the years you have been friends because I knew you would watch out for him.”
I feel like I should apologize. I look between my mother and Remi. I must make some sort of face, because both crack up laughing hard and Jasper follows.
“Why do I feel like I am missing something?” I ask, confused.
“Oh, that’s nothing new, Brother,” Dixon chuckles from the doorway.
“No teasing Cassidy. He can’t help it if he can’t see the forest for the trees,” Remi says with a laugh.
“Oooh!” Jasper says, before laughing more. “I bet you two are going to have to talk that out later!”
“First, do I even want to know? Second, We found the bed frame,” Uncle Morgan announces.
With a flurry of activity, the beds are taken apart and the new, large frame and supports are put in place with the twin mattresses side by side and mom runs off to get us fresh bedding from one of the linen closets. Remi glances at me shyly, when everyone leaves us alone.
“We did this to ourselves, you know,” I say.
“Yeah, but now we are going to have to share a bed,” he whispers. “I…I’m not sure I can do that.”
“You haven’t…” I start and then stop, realizing that in fact, Remi has never had any boyfriends spend the night in all the time we lived together and as far as I know he has not since, either.
“I’ve never slept in the same bed as anyone,” he admits.
“We’ll figure it out, even if we need to put pillows between us,” I say.
“Okay,” Remi says. “What are we doing with the rest of the day?”
“I thought we would help with some of the preparations at The Packhouse and then we could go out to dinner and a movie,” I suggest.
“Like a date?” Remi asks in a squeak.
“We are supposed to be a couple, so we should make it seem like we are one,” I reply.
I figure it is the closest I am going to get to taking Remi on a real date and I suppose it is both selfish and delusional, but I really want to get an idea of what it would be like to date him for real.