Remedy fought a quiet giggle. “I’m never sleeping alone again?”
“Never sleeping alone again,” he answered, laying her down. “You were knocked out when I walked out of here. Why you up?”
She was pinned underneath him, dressed in nothing but his t-shirt and Erys let her go throughout the night untouched. Remedy wiggled into her comfortability underneath him. “I got cold. Figured if I was going to be cold, I could be in my own bed.”
Erys studied her face. “The real reason.”
“Bad dream,” she shared. “Stupid shit.”
The only light in the room came from the bathroom, allowing Erys an uninterrupted view of the faint scars above her eyebrow and the top of her lip. Fury ran through his veins. The last time he felt like this was behind his mother. Feeling this for Remedy was a welcomed unfamiliarity.
“They happen every night?”
“Most nights,” her reply was soft.
Erys buzzed. A slight touch of the scar above her lip caused her to stir underneath him. He’d purposely positioned his body to feel her heat and vice versa. Erys spent his adult life up untilthis moment locking away the longing of holding space with and for someone. A man of his profession didn’t have space or time to do this. To live freely. To love freely – dare he say it. Hadn’t ever seen it like this either.
“Why you looking at me like that?” she asked, a slight frown blocking the view of her features. “You can barely see me.”
Soft, balanced, almond-shaped upturned eyes, high cheekbones, full lips, the bottom one his favorite.
“I see you, Rem,” he replied, wrapping his arm around her so he could roll over. “Tell me how I can make it better.”
“Let me go back across the hall. Is that an option?” she quizzed, whatever wall she was trying to erect crumbling under his touch. Remedy placed her palms on his chest to steady herself.
“Nah. Tell me,” he urged, his hands pushing up her thighs.
Remedy rolled her eyes. “If you’re going to do it, just do it.”
“Not without direction. I want you to talk to me. I want you to tell me what you want. What you like. How the shit makes you feel. I want all of it.”
“Mm,” Remedy hummed, her heat turning up with his subtle massage of her thighs. “Am I going to get the same thing. Or no?”
“I’ve never opened up for nobody,” Erys admitted.
“So you want me open and stupid behind you but you’re not going to do the same? I can’t subscribe to that,” Remedy replied. “I’ve heard the stories about niggas fuckin’ women through mattresses and then letting them take the charge. I don’t wanna be that.”
“What do you want to be?” Erys asked, his hands moving to her waist.
“Not stupid,” Remedy said.
“I don’t see that happening,” Erys replied.
Remedy swayed her head. “Erys, you have to know a few things. You’re the first one I let in since being out. You hit thisspot over and over and over and I feel like if I keep letting you do that, I’m going to be stupid and silly behind you.”
“Since we sharing,” Erys breathed, sitting up and running his hands up her back. “That squeeze shit you did to me. I feel that shit in my sleep. You know how dangerous that is? You think I’m not going to be silly and psycho behind you?”
“I think you’re already a psycho. I see that glint in your eyes.” Remedy moved her hands to his neck pulling his dog tags out and tangling her fingers in them. “I’ve heard the rumors too. So we’re going to be crazy together or not? Tell me now.”
“How many different ways do you need to hear it?” Erys posed.
“In every way. I need to hear it. To feel it. I need it to be louder than my overthinking. I’m a lot. I need to know you’re okay with that,” Remedy shared.
“I like that shit. That mouth. You don’t have to be hard here though.”
Remedy softly sassed, trying to move off of him. “So I give you my sad girl origin story and you hold me hostage?”
“I’ll forever find it amazing how you can talk that shit in any situation,” Erys said with subtle laughter. “You asked to be held and not be alone. You got it. Keep your fine ass still.”
