“Hot and fresh,” she announces softly, nudging my knee as she sits beside me, offering a plate. Steam curls upward. Chocolate oozes from the sides.
“You’re trying to kill me,” I mutter, trying to stay present.
She laughs, and it does something stupid to my chest.
I bite into the croissant, chocolate hitting my tongue. Eyes closed, I savor it.
“Good?” she asks.
“Insane,” I say, around another bite. “Thank you.”
Her lips curve, but before she can answer, my phone buzzes. I ignore it. Again. She glances down, not long enough to be rude, but enough to notice.Fuck.
ADRIANA
Are you home? I’m bored and alone, and I want you. I’ve been imagining your hands on me all day. Thinking about driving to that little town of yours. ;)
A wave of dread sinks into me. This is who I’ve been. Who I might still be. I rub my face, exhale through my teeth, and typeback:
I’m out.
Two words. Final. I don’t imagine her reaction. I don’t let myself imagine the fallout. I set the phone down. Emma’s eyes are soft but perceptive.
“Everything okay?” she asks gently.
“Yeah,” I lie, forcing a shrug. “Just...band stuff.”
She nods, letting it go. Offers another warm croissant. It reminds me of the nights when we smoked weed and baked an entire cake. We’d damn near eat the entire thing.
“You really like them?” she asks.
I smile. “They’re perfect. Everything you do is.”
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, and suddenly, we’re closer. Her fingertips brush the corner of my mouth, wiping a streak of melted chocolate.
“You, uh...missed a spot,” she whispers.
My heart slams against my ribs. I catch her wrist gently, holding her hand there a moment too long. “Emma…”
She leans in, slow enough that I could stop her. I don’t. I lean my forehead to hers, inhaling the chocolate on her breath. Then we’re kissing. It’s light at first, then deepens. I cup her jaw, desperately, greedily.
Her hand slides into my hair, her mouth soft and sweet as sin. But underneath the warmth, the craving hits. My musclestighten. My nerves flare. I’m trembling inside, trying to hold together two truths: her and the high clawing at me.
She shifts closer, chest pressing against mine. I groan, swallowed by the mix of desire and withdrawal. Her mouth opens under mine, and I snap.
I drag her in, hands grabbing her waist, her shirt, anything I can hold. My reaction is instant and overwhelming, my body responding out of hunger. I kiss her harder than I mean to.
She makes a soft sound in the back of her throat, and it nearly turns me feral.
She doesn’t know. She has no idea why I’m shaking.
I pull back slightly, chest heaving.
“Jude…” she whispers, searching my face. “Are you alright?”
Every part of me is trembling. The comedown is clawing at my spine. The high that gave me a sliver of clarity fades fast. “I’m fine,” I rasp, strained. “Just...it’s been a long day.”
Her thumb gently brushes my cheek. My throat tightens. I lean in, desperate for distraction,anythingto quiet the crawling under my skin. I wish her touch ruined me more than heroin ever could. But it doesn’t. Her hand slides under my shirt. I shudder violently, not in pleasure, but in withdrawal. I pull back again, hands trembling.
