“No, it’s not.” He looks back over his shoulder. “Don’t tell me it’s okay.”
“Okay, you just…surprised me. That’s all. I’m not mad at you, promise,” I tell him truthfully.
“That’s because you’re too nice. You should be mad at me.” Oswald turns to the side, edging closer to me.
“How could I be mad at you when you were sticking up for me?” I question.
“Because my tone was shitty, and I want you to know you’re allowed to get mad, baby. You can get pissed or irritated or tell us no and we will still be here. You don’t always have to worry about how we feel. You have to worry about you too.” He slides his big palm over the top of my hair, petting me softly. “And we need to work a hell of a lot harder on not fucking up so much.”
“I’m not saying you F up, but you guys can be a little intense…and maybe a little confusing,” I admit with a wince.
“Can you even say the word fuck?” He grins down at me. It’s too dark to see all his features, but I can hear the curl of his smile in his words.
“Yes.” I shake my head in bewilderment, wondering how we got on this topic. See? Confusing.
He scoots a little closer and says, “Say it, say fuck.”
“Why?” Now I’m feeling self-conscious about it. “Are you making fun of me?”
“No, never. I just think you’re adorable, and I want to hear you say dirty things from this pretty mouth.” He trails his finger under my chin.
When he puts it like that, it’s hard to deny him. “Fuck.” It passes my lips softly, almost like a sigh, and Oswald sucks in a breath like I actually surprised him.
“Christ, Waylynn.” He places his thumb on the center of my bottom lip. It’s strange how sensitive it feels with his touch there. “I probably shouldn’t ask you to keep that word for me, but I’m going to anyway, because if I heard you say that, like you just did, I might not be able to stop myself from giving you exactly what you asked for.”
“Okay,” I agree without hardship. It’s not like it’s something I say often.
“I better go,” he tells me, but he doesn’t move.
“Are you leaving?” My question comes out a little desperate, but I can’t take it back.
“Just to go back down with Memphis and Bates. I already told you that you’re not getting rid of me.”
“Oh, okay.” I settle back against the pillow. I’m much more relaxed now, so I don’t think I’ll have the same problem falling asleep like I would have if we hadn’t talked.
“Unless you tell me I can’t, I’m sleeping in here with you,” he warns, then kisses me quickly as if to stop me from saying anything. I roll in my lips as he backs away. I have no intention of telling him anything of the sort.
“Night, baby,” Oswald says softly at the door, pulling it closed.
“Leave it open, please,” I tell him before it latches. He swings the door back open wide, then disappears down the hall.
* * *
I wake up alone,just like I fell asleep, but the evidence that I wasn’t alone all night is on the floor in the form of Oswald’s socks and boxers. My eyes are hazy, but I force them open just in time to see Memphis coming out of the bathroom, hair damp, and in the process of buttoning his shirt. When he lifts his chin, I can tell he shaved, since his jaw is smooth and lickable. Dang it, Oswald must be rubbing off on me. I’ve never thought about licking a face.
My eyes are still fixed on him when he lifts the bottom of his shirt and starts tucking it into his open pants. I feel like I’m witnessing something I’m not supposed to, but I don’t look away, not even when he comes close enough to the bed that he catches me watching.
“Morning.” His voice is deep, as if he hasn’t spoken yet today, and I like knowing I’m the first person to hear him.
“Good morning.”
He lets out a small huff. “I wish I could crawl back in bed with you. Never has it been so hard to leave the house.”
“Sorry,” I tell him, but I’m not. I want him to climb back in bed with me too.
“Liar,” he accuses softly. I don’t argue because he’s right. “What time do you need to get up?”
I glance over at the clock. “Soon, since it’s probably going to take me longer to get around.”
