“You have no idea how challenging it’s been to wait for you,” he admits while stroking my waist. “But damn, it's been worth it.” Heat pools between my thighs as my body quakes, practically begging for him to take me. No longer able to hold back, we embrace each other, and our bodies melt together.
Although this is our first time, we act in desperation, as though it will be our last. We whisper sweet nothings into each other’s ears throughout. In the moments after, we lay side by side in a state of nirvana—true, utter oblivion in the best way. He wraps me in his arms and gently kisses the back of my head, breathing in my scent as we drift off to sleep.
For the first time in years, I feel safe. I feel at home. I feel a sense ofpeace. I find myself never wanting to leave this moment.
Thirty
Jasper
Oh, I could get used tothis. By this, I meanher, more specifically. Holding her in my arms feels natural, almost a little too natural. Her scent intoxicates me as I curl her into my arms tighter. I tried resisting her. I really did. But Iris isn’t simply a ‘want’ for me anymore—she’s a need. A necessity, even. I fight back a grin as I bury my head into her neck, kissing her soft skin and grazing the collar of her shirt—my T-shirt—with my lips.She’s mine.I run my fingers through her deep brunette waves, letting myself get lost in them. She leans back into my touch, inhaling and exhaling slowly.
As I get lost in her, my mind starts to work overtime. Her parents aren’t the best. She lost her brother, who she very clearly cherished. I don’t know the details, but knowing she has been carrying this, seemingly all alone, kills me. What’s worse is how skilled she is at hiding her grief. She’s the type of person to laugh at someone’s jokes despite how pitiful the jokes are. She often cares about others more than herself. She prioritizes everyone else’s desires over her own needs. She wears the mask over her emotions as a shield, preventing everyone from discovering the true weight she bears. It all makes sense now—she needs a guardian angel to help her carry and embrace this weight. I still don’t fully understand why I can see Kai. However, I’m starting to understand how pivotal his role in her life is. He has helped her a ton, although it is apparent he won’t be around much longer. Sure, she can carry this weight alone; she’s more than capable of it. But she shouldn’thaveto. I refuse to let her sail through this dark storm alone any longer. Now, she’s stuck with me. I stroke her cheek, and suddenly, her emerald eyes crack open, peering directly into mine.
“Good morning, Greene,” my voice comes out in a hoarse whisper. She reaches her hand up to cup my cheek.
“I cannot believe what happened last night.” Her nose crinkles as her lips curve into a smile. “Were you expecting that?”
“Truthfully? I never know what to expect when it comes to you,” I breathe. “But I was hopeful.”
“So was I.” She shyly breaks eye contact, running her hand across my back. “Surprising, I know.”
I scoff, grabbing the small of her back and pulling her into my chest. “Well, what should we do now?”
“Right now, I need to get dressed and head home to take care of Truman,” she says pointedly, turning away.
“You spend a lot of time with this Truman guy,” I taunt. “I’ll take you home. Just five more minutes of this first.”
“I’ve really got to go, Jasper—”
“Please don’t make me beg, love,” I whisper into her ear. She caves, relaxing her body into mine again, pushing her back against me.
“It’s been so long since I felt this…weightless.” She exasperatedly sighs. “This feeling won’t last much longer, though. Apparently, the Greenes themselves are visiting me for Thanksgiving tomorrow.”
I quirk a brow. “Theinfamous Greenes?”
“That would be correct.”
“Oh, wow. When was the last time you saw them?”
“Honestly, I don’t remember.” She pauses, contemplating. “Probably a few weeks after my brother’s passing. They came to town to collect some of his belongings from his apartment.”
“Your brother lived in the Cove?”
“Oh yeah, he is actually the main reason why I moved to Chrysocolla Cove.” She drifts off, seeming to get lost in thought. “I never imagined moving to a small town after graduating, but he hyped up this place. I’ve really never considered my parents' house a home anyway, so I had zero desire to move back to my hometown. But I wanted to live closer to him. He’s the only family I really ever felt close to; he was my best friend.”
“I get that,” I say. “It’s nice living close to family, and considering he was your family, it only makes sense.”
“You know how a lot of people claim their brother or sister is their best friend, but they don’t really mean it? We weren’t like that. We truly were best friends; he taught me how to drive, how to manage money, how to date. He taught me everything.”
I grin at first, but my smile fades as the reality of her situation settles in. “I’ve gotta ask, Iris. Why didn’t your parents teach you any of that? All of that is a pretty rudimentary part of parenthood if we’re being honest here.”
She glances over my shoulder, zoning out. “Truthfully… I don’t know why my parents didn’t take the reins in teaching me more about life. I have educated guesses, though. Assumptions, really. I think my dad was too absent to teach me much—he was always working. When he wasn’t working, he put all his extra time into his relationship with my brother. My mom may have gotten too caught up in how different we are. She’s always been bothered by how quiet I am around her. Little does she know, I actually hardly ever fall silent around those I’m comfortable with.” She chuckles, turning to look into my eyes. “My brother, although entirely different from me,triedto understand me. In doing so, he loved me unconditionally. The way I always wished my parents would, I suppose.”
Even while opening up about how insufferable her parents are, she manages to produce a laugh. How does she do it? How is she able to smile through it all?
“As you once said to me, I see you overthinking over there. No need to overthink this, love.” She smiles softly, caressing my tense jaw.
I sigh. “You deserve more than this. All of this.”
