My thighs tremble, both of us reaching the peak together. The release hits us like a force, blinding everything else. I collapse against him, feeling sore, yet completely satisfied.
Jared’s fingers trace along my back as if memorizing the feel of my skin beneath his touch. I catch a distant look in his eyes, and I pull back just enough to meet his hushed gaze.
His hand brushes a lock of hair from my face. “Alli…” He says my name like it’s a question, like he’s searching for answers.
My throat feels dry. “Yeah?”
“Thank you… for inviting me.”
I blink, momentarily thrown off. “Inviting you?”
A faint twitch tugs at the corner of his lips. “Into this. Into you. I think I love you.”
I freeze, every nerve in my body melting into liquid goo. “Youthink?”
He lets out a breath, one that sounds too uneven for someone as confident as him. “No. I know. I’ve known for a while.” His eyes meet mine, unflinching. “I just didn’t know how to say it.”
A laugh, shaky and nervous, escapes me. “Well, you figured it out.”
“Yeah, but I might’ve messed this up. Because I’m in so deep, and if you don’t feel the same—”
“I do.” The words burst out of me, cutting him off. “God, I do.”
His lips brush against mine. It’s gentle, as if he’s trying to give me every piece of him. And for the first time, I let myself fall, knowing, without a doubt, that he’ll catch me.
Jared tucks away a lock of hair from my face, his touch so tender it feels like a promise. “Thank you for inviting me today, really. You didn’t have to, but you did. It means more than I can say.”
My throat tightens again, the emotions rising in me. I press my forehead to his, closing my eyes to ward them off. “Thank you for coming,” I whisper, a faint smile curving my lips.
The ghost of a grin shows on him. “And you letting me stay.”
Jared
The room is dim, sunlight peeking through the blinds in golden streaks that stretch across the bed. I told myself ten minutes ago I’d get up, but her arm lies on my chest, making it impossible to leave. We’d both crashed hard after going for seconds, both in the laundry room and with actual food. Alli wasn’t kidding about her family’s pumpkin pie. She’d insisted I try it, three slices, and I didn’t have the heart to turn her down. Not that I could have, with the way her eyes lit up every time she piled another helping onto my plate.
Carefully, I shift, trying not to wake her as I slide her arm off me. She stirs, mumbling incoherent words, but doesn’t wake. A pang of guilt hits me. I’d stay here all day if I could, but I know better. Her family probably thinks I overstayed my welcome and forgot about my family.
I tiptoe toward the door, each step slow and deliberate, the old wooden floor creaking just enough to make me wince. I make it to the landing when I hear it, voices drifting up from below.
“… I just don’t understand why she brought him.”
The words stop me cold.
“I mean, Jared? Really?” another voice adds, sharp with judgment. I realize that’s herTíaMary that I met a while back at Victoria’s party.
I grip the railing, frozen in place as my name hangs in the air.
“He’s just not… right for her. Allison could do so much better. Someone who doesn’t come with all that baggage.”
My jaw tightens, the words hitting harder than they should.
“Baggage?” The other person questions. “What do you mean?”
“I heard from my friend, whose son is on the team with him”—TíaMary’s voice drops to a hushed volume—“that his mom’s been in and out of rehab for years. It’s a mess.”
“So what? That’s not his fault,” the other voice says.
“Maybe not, but do you think that doesn’t affect him? Or Allison? You know how sensitive she is and how much family means to her. He’s got trouble written all over him. What if he gets addicted to drugs just like his mom? I just hope she sees it before it’s too late.”
