I’d been too tired to make the trek back down to the living room, and caved.
“Sorry,” I said, moving to shuffle away only for Ward’s arm to tighten around my waist.
“Stay,” he mumbled. “Warm.”
Now that I’d woken up enough to take in my surroundings, Ward felt like a furnace. I couldn’t imagine why he’d want to be any warmer.
On the other hand, I could feel the cool air of the loft on every inch of exposed skin, and I didn’t really want to move.
After a half-second of debate I pressed my nose against Ward’s chest to warm it up.
And it wasnice.
This was the problem.
It was nice. I liked him.
I was scared I was going to fall in love with him all over again and then have to leave, all over again. Because there was no place for me in his life.
Telling him so also wasn’t an option, because I couldn’t stand the thought of making him feel awkward around me.
“Method acting,” Ward murmured, and I didn’t need to see the smile on his face to hear it in his voice.
“This isn’t what that means.”
“Sure it is,” Ward said. “You can’t tell me otherwise because I don’t know shit about acting and am therefore immune to nuance.”
“I’ll immune your nuance,” I said, on the verge of falling asleep again with the warm weight of Ward’s arm pinning me down.
“Was that supposed to be a threat?” Ward asked. “What does that even mean?”
“Shh,” I complained. “Let me—”
Before I could saysleep, my phone vibrated in my pocket, where I’d clearly left it all night.
Astrid:photo?
Ugh.
I wanted to text backtoo early, but I knew I was on thin ice with her. I’d screwed up and then I’d compounded my mistake by screwing up again. It was on me to fix this.
But it was so early, and Ward was so warm, and I was so exhausted.
“Something up?” Ward asked as I curled up on myself.
He’d agreed to this, but I still didn’t want to ask.
“Astrid. My agent,” I explained. “She wants…”
“A photo, right? Of us?”
He’d been paying attention.
“I can hold her off,” I said, gut twinging at the thought of going through with this. Right now it was still theoretical, but the moment I posted the first photo there was no going back.
“Why? You’re effortlessly cute in the mornings,” Ward said.
I raised an eyebrow.
