I press the End Call button and continue to try to torture myself by removing a centimeter at a time. Why I ever thought this was a good idea is beyond me.
I step outside when Drew says he’s here. As he gets out of his car, he’s wearing a cloth mask over his face, which is, of course, made with San Francisco Giants fabric.
“How far did you make it?” he asks.
I lift my chin to show him where only a tiny bit has been pulled off.
“Come here,” he says in a calming manner, motioning for me to join him on the sidewalk.
When I stand at his feet, I glance up at him with sadness written all over my face. “Help me,” I beg, trying to frown but the mask won’t let me.
His hands reach up to my face, and before he goes for the mask, he takes the time to brush my hair out of my face, and then he cups my cheek. I lean into his touch, loving the way it feels against my skin, even with the mask between us.
I look up into his eyes, and my breath hitches. I’ve never been so close that I can see his eyes like this. The gold flakes shine in the bright sky, and I instantly feel secure with him near.
He takes a shaky breath and then rubs his lips together. “Are you ready?”
I nod. It’s going to hurt like hell, but with him doing it, I know I can make it through. Right now, I feel like I can do anything as long as he’s next to me.
I lift my hands and place them on his biceps. I feel the goose bumps my touch causes him, and they then cover my flesh as well.
I bite my lower lip as he says, “Okay, here we go.”
He pulls the mask, and I flinch, gripping him tighter. Before I know it, my cheek is cleared of the mask.
“Are you doing all right?” he asks.
I look up into his eyes again and nod.I’m doing just fine right here.
He continues to yank it off all the way until it’s completely gone. I close my eyes, letting the pain subside as I inhale a deep breath. When I look back into his eyes, I’m instantly lost.
He rubs his finger down my cheek, moving his hand around to the nape of my neck. We stare into each other’s eyes, both wanting so much more than we can have right now.
He closes his eyes, takes a deep inhale, and steps back. “Sorry. I should go.”
I rub my lips together and nod. My heart pounds as he gets back in his car.
I’m not sure how much longer we can play this game. I’ve never wanted someone so bad, and the slow torture of not being able to have him is starting to kill me.
19
Day 19
April 14
Drew
Even though I just woke up and I’m still lying in bed, I pick up the phone to call Sharee.
“Morning,” she says when she answers.
My brows furrow when I hear her voice because it’s obvious she’s not as chipper as normal. “Morning. Did you just wake up?”
“No. I’ve been up for a while.” She sighs. “Just having a bit of a rough time.”
I sit up. “Tell me about it.”
“It’s just …” Her voice cracks, and she takes in a shaky breath. “I think this whole thing has finally gotten to me, you know?”
