We spent hours arguing about it, until finally, Carrie agreed to let me come with her.
“I don’t regret it—but it does make me anxious.”
“If you’re scared I’ll stop lov—”
“No!”
I sigh. “I was just about to say something super romantic.”
“I’m just really nervous my mom will smother you in your sleep.”
I raise my eyebrows at her. “Sounds like a great time.”
I scoot up and lean against the headboard, pulling Carrie back to lie against my chest, clasping my arms over her stomach.
“I hope us tidying it all up and getting some paint on the walls makes her feel good,” she says. “She needs positive vibes.”
I hope so, too—because while I really want her mom to get better soon, I also really want Carrie to come with me next year wherever I end up when I go pro. I’ll be earning enough to cover her tuition at one of the city’s top colleges, and that whole conversation will be so much easier if her mom is back on her feet. It’s too early to bring up now, and I’m pretty sure she’ll make me work for it. But I plan on doing everything I can to make it happen. I don’t want to be without Carrie. I don’t want to be away from her—not for a single second.
I reach across to the bedside table. “Wanna read a chapter?”
She scoops her hair into a bun, glancing at the book I’m holding.
“How far did you get?”
“How dumb do you think I am?” I protest. “We said we were reading this together—I know what you’d do to me if you found out I read on without you.”
“Right answer.”
It’s our thing, now—Carrie had to learn to slow it down to match my pace. I flip the book open to where we left off yesterday, and we pick back up. Halfway through chapter 21, she shifts between my legs, reaching up and over her head to stroke my cheek, turning herface to offer up her lips. I give her a quick peck before turning back to the page.
“Donovan…”
I mutter something back at her.
The protagonists are just about to get it on, and I’m invested. I want to savor it because I’m pretty sure everything is going to go off the rails in the next chapter—Jeremy’s a pretty complex guy. I can’t wait to see how he develops and wh—
“Don!”
“What?” I glance down.
“I’m done for today.”
She rolls over to face me and pulls herself up, straddling me as she tugs her sleep shirt over her head. Keeping the book in one hand, I rest the other on her hips.
“Damn. Are you saying that sex scene is getting you in the mood?”
“Maaaybe…”
“Remember what you said the first time I went to book club?”
She shakes her head. “Nope.”
I put on my best high-pitched squeal. “I’m paraphrasing, but it was something like ‘Obviously, if all you focus on are the sex scenes, then I guess you missed all the stuff where the characters grow, their feelings develop—that kind of thing.’?”
“You sure that was me?”
“Your mind should be blown at just how far I’ve come.”
