His words split me open and I can’t stop the words from slipping out. Soft. Honest. "I loved you first."
Raindrops pour down on us, while in the distance the others scramble with bags and umbrellas. My stereo keeps playing, the final verses ofWherever You Will Golingering in the air as Vincent and I meet each other’s gaze. Alex Band was right all along—and my heart realizes it in this very moment.
"Maybe we should help them," he whispers, looking away.
I nod. "Maybe we should."
We rise, but he catches my hand. "My parents and Aunt Evelyn want to throw you a birthday party. Would you like that?"
My eyes light up and I nod. "When?"
He shrugs, thumb brushing my hand. "Whenever you want."
I nod again, unable to tear my eyes away from his. It feels like a spell I can’t break. One I’m not sure I even want to. "Okay..."
By the time we reach the others, everything’s packed. Steven crouches and presses a kiss against the tattooed stars under mybreasts and my stomach twists when I meet Vincent’s eyes. He looks away.
Steven looks up and cups my face, but there’s a strange expression clouding his smile. "Sorry about before, babe."
Steven kisses me, and I wrap my arms around his neck, but the kiss feels wrong. It’s not how I want it. It’s not what I want.
When we part, the others give us space, already at the cars. Will carries Aurora on his shoulders, both laughing. Max and Sam laughs while Vincent and Maggie play rock-paper-scissors to decide who has to ride on Sam’s motorbike with him.
I glance at Steven. "Everything okay?"
He nods, hugging me tight. "It’s okay if I stay over tonight?"
I blink because he never asks. He’s always too busy for sleepovers. But maybe... maybe this is his way of fixing us and it’s what I’ve wanted for months. So why does it feel so wrong?
-*?? . ??? ? ?.-*??
His lips scatter kisses across the base of my neck as he tugs off my bathing suit and tosses it onto the floor, right beside his T-shirt. He couldn’t even wait for us to shower.
I fall back onto the sheets and pull him down with me, wrapping my arms around the back of his neck.
Steven’s mouth lingers on a spot against my skin, sucking lightly, but it doesn’t feel the way it used to.
I arch my hips against his, searching for something—any spark of pleasure, some rush that will make me focus on us and what we’re doing.
“Everything all right, babe?” he asks as he fumbles with the button of his jeans.
I nod quickly, helping him out of them and tossing his clothes aside to join mine. “It’s okay,” I murmur, reaching over to the nightstand for a condom and placing it in his hand.
“Some music?” I ask, my voice almost breathless.
He nods, so I grab my phone, scroll blindly through Spotify, and hit play on a random playlist. I drop the phone back onto the nightstand and sink into the pillow.
I pull Steven close again, but the moment the opening notes ofTurning Pageby Sleeping At Last fill the room, my body stiffens.
He notices instantly, pulling back to study me, confused. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah... sure. Don’t worry,” I reply too quickly, pushing him closer again. “Everything’s great.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
He sighs and finally slides into me.
