Too quickly.
"You know, I should head home. I’m tired, and?—"
"Stop. Just give me a second."
She shook her head, already reaching for the towel, already wrapping herself in it like a shield.
"No. No. This is for the best."
Her voice was quieter now, but the finality in it made my heart lurch.
"I think, yes. Let’s wait a while before hanging out?"
I didn’t let her take another step.
Before I even thought about it, I was out of the tub, grabbing a towel, and pulling her into my arms.
“Put me down, you goon.” Michelle’s voice was exasperated, but her body curled into me anyway, her hands clutching my shoulders even as she pretended to fight it.
“Not until we have this conversation.” I carried her to the bed and set her down, my hands lingering on her thighs before I stepped back. Pointing a finger at her, I shook my head, no longer caring how ridiculous I looked. “You are not running from this because you think it was a slight against you.”
Her jaw tightened, and I could see the fight flicker across her face. “I’m not running,” she muttered, but when I gave her a hard look, she sighed, dropping her shoulders. “Okay, I was running.”
“Can I trust you to stay put if I put on sweats?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Yes, if I can borrow a shirt so I’m not naked.”
“Deal.”
I turned to my dresser, grabbing a pair of black sweats and tossing her an old college T-shirt. She caught it with ease and pulled it on without hesitation, the oversized fabric draping past her waist, making her look small and effortlessly perfect in my clothes. My chest tightened at the sight, but now wasn’t the time to say anything.
Once I was dressed, I turned back to her, my voice lower now, steady but firm. “You can’t seriously think I don’t trust you.”
She blinked, lips parting slightly before she caught herself.
I sat down beside her, my leg pressing against hers, letting the silence stretch for a moment before speaking again. “We don’t talk about what I do for a living often—which, honestly, is refreshing—but part of that life is worrying about my picture getting leaked doing something that could hurt my career. Or people using me for money or fame.” Meeting her gaze, I let my words sink in before continuing. “I have never worried about that with you. Not for even half a second. We could have the worst breakup in the world, and I know you would still keep everything between us where it should be—between you and me.”
She hesitated, her fingers curling around the hem of my shirt, but her expression had softened. “How would you know that?” she asked, her voice quieter now.
“Because I knowyou,” I said simply, my thumb brushing slow circles over her knuckles. “You don’t give trust easily, but when you do, it’s forever.”
Her lips parted slightly, and before she could overthink it, she reached for me.
Score.
I laced my fingers through hers, squeezing gently, letting her feel that I wasn’t letting go.
“My reason for not talking about what happened today in front of you isn’t because I don’t trust you,” I said, watching as her gaze flicked to my face, reading every detail. “I do, without a doubt. It’s… hard. When I’m with you, I’m happy. I forget the weight of everything I carry around every day. I crave that with you.”
Her shoulders dropped slightly, and I saw the moment her guard lowered again.
“If you aren’t ready to talk about it, then don’t.” Her fingers trailed along my wrist as she shifted, moving to straddle my lap, her arms sliding around my neck. The tension that had been humming between us like an electric charge began to fade, replaced with something softer, something warmer.
“I’m sorry I made it about me and my issues.” She sighed, resting her forehead against mine. “Again, I’m a mess.”
I ran my hands up her back, holding her firmly in place, like I could keep her from slipping through my fingers again. “You’re worth figuring out.”
She let out a small laugh, then surprised me by hugging me tightly, her body molding against mine like she needed this as much as I did.
