Me
And Bodie
Bodie
Yeah?
Me
I do miss you.
Bodie
I miss you too, Bryce *heart hands emoji*
I actually try to lie down and sleep after that, because I don’t want to lie to him, but I always wind up back in the same dream that startles me awake. There’s no escaping it. I’ve tried so hardto forget—went to therapy dozens of times as an adult, did the work they asked me to—but I still wind up back in that car, alone and scared.
Chapter Eight
Bodie
Walking into the apartment after this afternoon’s win has me on a high. I tried to sleep on the plane ride home, but I’m too excited to see Bryce. He’s off work now and thinks I’m coming home in the morning, but I changed my flight to a red-eye at the last minute. I couldn’t wait any longer to see him. Being away for ten days has been harder than ever before.
I open his door slowly and see him sitting up, watching hockey again. As soon as I walk in, he’s up and on me. The kiss is rough, pushing me against the wall with his hands gentle and warm onmy lower back as I slide my fingers through his hair, pulling him in even closer. I’m taken aback by his enthusiasm—I knew he missed me, but this feels like so much more.
“Hi, babe,” he mumbles, his lips finding that sensitive spot behind my earlobe.Babe.My body was already on fire, my stomach filled with flutters. Now, they go haywire becausehe just called me babe. I want more and I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of it.
“Hey, you.” Arching my back, I raise my chin to give him better access to the rest of me. “You really did miss me, didn’t you?”
“More than you know.” Bryce cups my face, pressing his lips firmly against mine before he leads me to bed, stripping me down to my boxers along the way. He pulls me under his comforter, and I’m cocooned by his warmth.
“Bryce. Are you okay?” He nods, his beard scraping over my pecs.
“Better now,” his lips whisper across my chest, and heat rushes into my face. “I just missed you a lot.”
“I missed you too.” He’s never missed me like this before. Have things changed that much for him too? “What were you doing awa—” My words cut off as soft snores reach my ears, and my chest fills with warmth. Was this man planning on waiting up for me all night? Shimmying down under his body even further, I settle in quickly, listening to him sleeping until I join him.
I hate to wake him up when he’s sleeping so peacefully, but we need to go soon.
“Bryce, you need to get up.” I snuck out of bed to get in the shower half an hour ago and thought he’d wake up by the time I got out.
“Mmm, five more minutes.”
“Oh no, mister. Calisse is waiting for us. We’re going to be late.”
“Huh?” Confused brows peek out from under the covers.
“You set up a lunch with Calisse and her girlfriend.” I see no recollection in that scrunched nose and squinty eyes. “Bryce, we’re supposed to be there in an hour.”
“Okay. I’m getting up.”
I’ve never seen him so slow to rise. I watched him half the night, and aside from a little dream that stirred him—which I think I was able to stop by squeezing him closer—he slept well.
It doesn’t take him long to get ready once he’s up and moving, though. He actually has some energy as he hurries to get ready, not wasting any chances to kiss me or squeeze my ass as he passes by. Still, I make him a to-go tea and rush him out the door. I hate being late for things. It used to be a problem for me—in school and at practice, I was always getting reprimanded for it. Thankfully, it very seldom happens anymore.
The short ride to the diner is quiet for the most part, and when we pull up, we see Calisse standing next to her bike with a tall blonde woman—what a beautiful couple.
“About time, loser. Did you finally get some sleep and forget about me?” she teases Bryce as she stretches her suspenders and then wraps an arm around her girlfriend’s waist. “Bryce. Bodie. This is Alina.”
