Chapter 44

"I was hoping that you could bring them down from the attic for me," she said in a flirtatious voice.

"You mean, we can bring them down. I'll hand them down to you." He let out a deep breath. "Mallory, just be yourself and stop flirting."

She sighed. "I don't know how."

"Well- try. Or there will never be any hope for us even being friends."

"Fine." She had obviously been hoping that she could just bat her eyes and get him to do all the work for her, as he did years ago. But he was a man now and was no longer a foolish boy who would fall for her flirtations.

"Where's the attic?" he asked, headed up the stairs.

"It's right this way." She stepped in front of him and stood in the center of the second floor. He had always liked their house. The upstairs must have been an apartment at one time and had a sitting room in the center, with bedrooms jetting off from it. Then toward the right had been a kitchenette and to the left, a bathroom.

"Where's the attic?" Caden asked, looking arou