“High school pics.”
He walked over and flopped down onto the bed behind me. “I was worried you hadn’t come back because you were mad.”
I spun my head to look over my shoulder and frowned. “Why would I be mad?”
“Because your mom put so many candles on your cake at my suggestion.”
I had found it odd that my mother had insisted we all go outside for me to blow out the candles on my birthday cake even if it was a relatively warm and peaceful fall night. When I had seen the two number candles that spelled out thirty with thirty candles surrounding them, I’d understood why.
I turned my head back around and chuckled. “No, I’m not mad. You might be trying to make me feel old, but I’m still the youngest in the house, so the joke’s on all of you.”
“Touché.” Griffin put his hand on my side and squeezed. “I want to see too.”
Enjoying his touch too much, I pivoted ninety degrees and leaned up against the headboard.
When I had gotten my double-size bed, I remembered thinking it was so big compared to my twin. But seeing Griffin lying on it next to me, it was apparent that it was too small. Or maybe he was just that large.
Griffin rolled toward me and leaned against my side.
It wasn’t an unusual move and one I wouldn’t normally blink at, but after Friday night, I was much more aware of the big, handsome man beside me.
He didn’t seem to be fazed by me at all though.
He laughed and pointed to a picture. “What were we doing?”
It was a photo of the two of us with a group of friends at school, but we were all wearing what looked like pajamas.
“Homecoming week, I think. PJ Day.”
“That’s right.” He looked up at me. “Cute bunnies.”
“Hey, bunnies were all the rage back then.” I tapped my finger over him on the photo. “And it’s certainly better than your football jersey and sweatpants. You can’t tell me that’s what you wore to bed.” Jerseys were made of mesh and not something I would want to sleep in.
He lifted a shoulder. “It wasn’t. But I couldn’t wear just my boxers to school. I would have gotten in trouble.”
“Okay, that makes sense.”
And now, I was picturing Griffin only wearing his boxers. Griffin now, not high school Griffin.
I swallowed and turned the page, hoping to distract myself from thoughts of my best friend almost naked.
Or him naked and lying over me, moving inside of—
Griffin snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Madeline.” His brows lifted. “You okay? You look…” He tilted his head to get a better view of me, but I couldn’t let him guess what I had been thinking about.
“I’m fine. Thinking about high school, is all.” I flipped a page. “Part of me feels like it was so long ago, and another part feels like it was yesterday.”
Despite my wayward sexual thoughts, this was true. I couldn’t believe how much time had passed.
“It does. I’m glad I’m not back there though.”
“Really? But you had so much fun. And you were a jock.” Which meant he had gotten away with a lot with the teachers and he’d had his share of female attention.
“Yeah, it was fun, but I like my life now.”
“That’s good, I suppose. There’s no going back.”
I continued to flip through the pages, the two of us pausing to look and comment on pictures every now and then. I was starting to loosen up and realize that no matter what, Griffin was still my best friend, and nothing was going to change that.
We were getting to the end of the album, where we were dressed up in formal clothes.
“Is this prom?”
“No. This is still sophomore year. It can’t be prom yet.”
“Then, why are we so dressed up?”
I flipped a page, and once I saw Griffin’s date, I knew when it was.
“Ugh. It was Spring Fling. The dance where the girl was supposed to ask the guy. You know, because we lived in the 1800s, and women weren’t allowed to make the first move, except for the special dance where we were given permission,” I added sarcastically.
Griffin chuckled. “Oh yeah. I remember. Jeanene Hanson asked me to go. You know, she was a senior, and I was only—”
“A sophomore. Yes, I know.” I rolled my eyes.
“You’re just jealous because you went with Billy Richardson, who was a sophomore.”
“I liked Billy Richardson. Remember, I was the one who asked him to go. Besides,