The sun starts to warm up everything around us, the safety and comfort of the darkness being stolen from us slowly. Fog starts to slowly form over the ground. It’s an eerie sight, but the rising sun means I can see her clearer.
She slept like the dead, and I couldn’t fall asleep knowing she trusted me like that.
I finish the first picture, smiling softly at it. It isn’t perfect, nothing I’d get tattooed on me, but you can see who it is. Where we are. You can see this moment.
Just as I’m about to finish the second picture, Roxie breathes deeply, moving against me.She’s waking up.
I fold the drawing I made of her and shove it in my pocket before closing her book and putting it in her backpack. Roxie rolls back, hearing the crunch of the leaves and wakes up immediately.
“Oh my god, I fell asleep.”
“It’s okay. You needed sleep.” I smile softly, trying to show her that it’s a good thing. I’m so fucking glad she fell asleep—itshows me just how much she’s comfortable with me, even if she doesn’tknowif she really is.
“I’m so sorry,” she says, sitting up quickly and I immediately miss the warmth of her, of her head and shoulder pressed against me, letting me stand guard for her. I shake my head quickly and take her hands.
“Don’t be. Please, don’t be.”
Roxie’s eyebrows knit together in worry, but the longer I hold her gaze, the more she relaxes again. Finally, she nods.
“What time is it?” she asks, looking around.
“I have no idea.”
“Won’t Asher be worried?”
“No,” I say simply. It’s true, he knows I’m right where I want to be.
“Okay,” she says, yawning. “It’s early, really early.” She looks around before her eyes land back on me. “That was probably the best night sleep I’ve had in…years. Thank you.”
“Same here,” I say softly, not mentioning that I didn’t sleep a wink.
“Come on, I need to go face the music. You need to actually sleep.” She stands up, holding her hand out and bossing me around. I don’t mind at all.
“I’m fine,” I say, and I am. My neck hurts a little but that was more because I had to contort weirdly to be able to see the paper I was drawing on and stay in the position to make sure she stayed on my lap. Not to mention that my ass has been asleep for hours so I’m not exactly sure thatwalkingwill look too attractive.
“Come on,” she groans and holds out her hand to me again. “Come with me.”
My heart beats harder. Her words have a double meaning, I can hear it.
“Let’s go.” I take her hand and let her pull me up.
“I…I wish it could be that simple,” she says gently, quietly, like she’s too afraid to speak louder. Like what she wants is something she shouldn’t.
She shouldn’t feel that way because it’s what I want too. But I have…so many people counting on me.
I cup her cheek, smiling sadly.
“I do, too. I really do.” Our foreheads press together and I lean down, more sure this time, and kiss her lips gently. Sweetly at first, before I kiss her harder.
Holding her to me gently.
This… This is going tohurt.
CHAPTER 7
I sneakback into the house, relieved that I’m not greeted by two sleepy, pissed off ex-guardians.
I’mpissed off. So if they get mad… I don’t think I’d care. What’s the worst they could do? Send me away?They’re already doing that.
