I stay with her through it, grounding, relentless, coaxing every response from her until she’s shaking, until control slips clean through her fingers and she comes undone beneath me in a way that feels as overwhelming for me as it is for her.
When she finally stills, breath ragged, body warm and spent beneath the night sky, I press a quiet kiss to her forehead.
For a moment, neither of us moves.
Then the reality seeps back in.
She sits up slowly, fixing her dress, hands still unsteady. I turn away to give her space, though every part of me wants to pull her back instead.
The air between us is thick. Changed.
“Zero,” I murmur, unable to help myself. “One.”
She freezes.
Then she looks at me and realization dawns. Her mouth falls open before she laughs, soft and incredulous, shaking her head, remembering the sexual game we made in our youth.
“You’re unbelievable,” she says.
“You loved that game,” I counter gently.
She snorts, leaning in to press a brief, affectionate kiss to my cheek. “I really did.”
She stands, smoothing herself once more. “I should go. I’m late.”
I rise instinctively. “I’ll walk you.”
“No,” she says quickly. “Don’t. That’ll raise questions.”
I nod, though it costs me great control.
She disappears into the house.
Minutes later, I hear the front door open and close.
I sink back onto the grass, staring up at the moon, heart still racing, body humming with the aftermath.
I know I won’t sleep tonight.
And for the first time in a long while, that thought doesn’t fill me with dread.
Chapter 61
Claire
Nothing changed the next day.
At least, that’s what it looked like.
The house still smelled like coffee and toast. The radio murmured softly from the kitchen. Outside, Maplewood went about its morning like nothing monumental had happened beneath the stars the night before.
I came early to pick Lily up for school, since Ethan had an important workday, and found him at the counter, buttering toast like his life depended on it.
“You’re going to tear the bread,” I said.
He glanced down. “I am?”
“Yes. Aggressively.”
