“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“You say that now.”
“I’ll say it when you’re sober too.”
“That’ll be the real test.”
She laughed softly. “You’ll be grumpier. I’ll have coffee ready.”
I shut my eyes. “You’ll be here when I wake up?”
“Yes, Vince.”
I didn’t believe in things like promises. Not in my world. So if I woke up and she was gone. I’d understand.
15
Vince
My head was pounding, a dull ache behind my eyes, but that wasn’t the first thing I felt. Instead it was her heartbeat. Her fingers threaded in my hair like they’d been there all night.
My arm was around her waist. My leg hooked over hers. And my entire goddamn face was resting on her breast like I was some grateful stray she let curl up her.
The embarrassment hit next.Fuck.I remembered talking too much. Saying the kind of stuff you say when you think the person’s going to be gone by morning.
Except she wasn’t.
Then she stirred. Just a little. A lift of her chest that pushed up into my face and made me want to die right there. And then her fingers moved again, this time slipping to my neck. Stroking gently.
“You awake?” she whispered.
Fuck.
I nodded into her, then peeled myself off. I kept my eyes closed. Maybe if I didn’t look at her, I wouldn’t make it worse.
“You don’t remember anything, do you?”
“I remember enough to want to leave the country.” I muttered.
She laughed. “You were… talkative.”
“God.” I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes. “Did I cry?”
“Almost.”
“Fuck.”
She laughed again, too soft, too good natured for someone who probably witnessed a full breakdown. “You said I was too beautiful to be real. Multiple times.”
I groaned. “Please stop.”
“And that you missed my mouth, not even for kissing. And that I have the best sighs.”
“I hate myself.”
I looked over. She was curled up on her side, hair messy, wearing the same clothes from last night. She looked like something out of a dream. And I hated how much I wanted to believe she was still here because shewantedto be.
