Kane: What u going 2 do?
Spencer: ??? Any ideas?
Kane: Bring her home?
“What the fuck?” I swore. I wasn’t expecting that.
“What’s wrong?” Zoe asked as she appeared again.
She stole my breath and she wasn’t even trying to. Her face had been scrubbed clean. Her hair hung in one thick braid between her shoulder blades. It was the short shorts and skimpy pink singlet top that made me sit up and pay attention. All of me. Her fresh faced innocence sent me spinning.
“Nothing,” I mumbled, unable to drag my eyes from her mile long legs.
Sauntering across the room, Zoe peeled back the covers and slipped between the sheets. I watched with my stomach in my mouth. She wiggled and squirmed until the she had the blankets tucked up under her chin and her head settled on the pillow.
“You getting in or are you just going to stand there and stare at me?”
I looked at Zoe and saw hope in her eyes. I knew what she wanted. She wanted normal, I couldn’t give it to her. God I wanted to. I just couldn’t. I wasn’t going to put her in the position to regret anything. Flicking off the lamp, I dropped my head on the pillow. I didn’t get under the covers. If she wanted me to sleep in here, I wasn’t getting under the covers.
“Spencer?”
“It’s okay, Zoe,” I assured her.
“Spencer.” Her voice cracked and I didn’t need to see her to know there were tears flowing down her face. Somehow I just knew.
Without a word, I reached over and dragged her into my arms. She settled with her head on my chest, my arm wrapped around her and my hand settling on her hip. I stiffened beneath her but Zoe didn’t know. Or if she did, she didn’t say a word. It didn’t take long before she was sleeping soundly. Me, however…it took a lot longer before I found peace.
