“We live together. Why would I miss you?”
His lips twist and he leans in. My eyes flutter as his minty breath and woodsy cologne fill my lungs. I almost collapse in my seat, feeling overwhelmed by having him this close, smellinghim, feeling him, hearing him, but I manage to keep myself upright.
“I missed you.” There’s a longing in his voice that grips my soul.
We’re supposed to be casual, so casual that I don’t have expectations and didn’t make him be exclusive to me. We don’t sleep in the same bed after he makes me come and I don’t cuddle with him because that’s something people in relationships do.
That one time was an exception.
But I’m stupid because I want to be exclusive. I don’t want to share him. I don’t want to wonder if he’s making someone else come and giving them his shirt and socks after. Or if he makes them grilled cheese and plays all kinds of music.
I don’t want to keep wondering, but he makes it hard and now he’s here, touching me and saying things like that. How the hell am I not supposed to crumble?
“I—” My mouth goes dry. I’m in too deep; this isn’t okay. He’ll leave soon and I’ll be alone again.
I look away and as I do my gaze connects with Kai’s. He smirks, his eyes drifting to Daniel then back to me. He curves his fingers making a heart sign and mouths something but I can’t make out what it is.
“I need to use the restroom.” I quickly finish my drink and push off the seat.
“I’ll go with you,” he states, his hand still on my back.
“No, you stay here. I won’t take long.” I start backing away, but he follows closely as if he were my bodyguard. “You didn’t have to come.”
“It’s been four days. Unless you physically tell me you don’t want me around, I’m not going anywhere,” he shouts, his body flush against mine from how crowded and loud it is.
A zoo breaks loose in my stomach, making my body feel fuzzy and warm inside.
When we get to the restroom, he grabs my hand and spins me around.
“Do you not want me around?” The dim lighting makes it hard to see his face, but I don’t have to look at him to know he’s hurt. “Do you want me to leave you alone so they can flirt with you?” he grits, breathing out harshly. “Is that what you want?”
My brows hike up, but I bite my tongue before asking something I’ll regret.
I don’t owe him anything. He doesn’t owe me anything, but the tequila is taking a quick effect, the buzz is a little more heightened, making the words easily tumble out of my mouth.
“Are you sleeping with other people?” My cheeks flame at the stupid question. I can’t believe I succumbed to this, but I really need to know.
“No.” He doesn’t miss a beat. “Answer my question.”
But I don’t. “Why not?”
“Because, Josefine, you’ve rewired the way I feel touch. Touching anyone that isn’t you feels overwhelming and so wrong. It’s like my brain can’t process that it’s not you. I don’t know how to make sense of that but I don’t want to touch anyone that isn’tyou. You’re incomparable. And no, I haven’t touched anyone to find that out. I just know. I can’t and won’t touch anyone that isn’t you. Does that answer your question? Can you answer mine now?”
I try to unravel what he said and not twist his words into something they’re not.
He made sense; I get what he said. I’m just having a hard time believing I have that effect on him. I’ve done nothing but bring him stress and test his patience.
“I don’t care about the other guys.”
Daniel lets go of my wrist and grabs my hips, spinning and guiding me until my back touches the wall. He leans in as I tip my head back. “Tell me. Do you not want me around?”
“I always want you around.”
“Why did you let him get so close to you?” he questions, his voice dropping an octave.
“You were watching me?”
“I’m always watching you.”
