‘He does.’
‘What does he write you about?’
She bites her lip again. ‘Well. He says he misses me. That he thinks that we could work things out if I just gave us a chance. He sends me romantic poems, trying to get me to change my mind about us.’
‘Poetry? That’s a definite red flag, right there.’
She lets out a giggle. The flames of jealousy ignite in my stomach, thinking about her with another guy.
‘What’s Poetry Boy’s name?’ I ask.
‘Owen,’ she says, still smiling.
‘And do you write Owen back?’
‘Not recently.’
‘Please don’t tell me you write poetry.’
Another giggle. I flip her onto her back and trail kisses down the nape of her neck, gently sucking at her soft skin. ‘How about you write him that you’re sorry,’ I whisper, ‘but you’re seeing somebody else now?’
I lower my head and kiss her, pulling her naked frame closer to mine as she hums in response.
Sorry, Jonny English, I think to myself, as Hollie’s body responds to my touch.
This girl is mine.
In the morning, I’m awake before Hollie. Light peeks through the edges of the window blinds and I do that thing again: I watch her sleep.
We had sex one more time before we crashed out. It lasted even longer, and I swear she gained even more confidence. It’s another thing I never did before: sleep with a girl more than once in the same night. But when she kisses me back, I can’t seem to get enough. She sets my body on fire, and I gotta have all of her.
Hollie’s different. She’s unlike any other girl I ever met. She’s kind. She cares about others. She doesn’t put herself first.
When my no-good, shit-for-brains dad walked out, me and Logan vowed that life was easier if you had nobody else to rely on. Maybe that’s why Lo hit the road when he did, so he’d have nobody else to look out for, ’cept himself. And maybe I should have done the same. Mom called it selfish, but I didn’t blame him for getting out.
I resisted getting close to anybody. Catching feelings only complicated things. But now, looking down at Hollie in the bed, she makes me feel grounded. And I have an urge to protect her from anything that might cause her any pain.
She stirs. I lean down and brush a kiss against her temple. She hums, then stretches out her limbs.
‘Good morning,’ I say.
Her eyelids flutter open and my gaze meets hers. ‘Hi,’ she squeaks up at me. ‘How long have you been awake?’
‘Not long,’ I reply.
‘Uh. Would you like breakfast?’
‘I’m good. I should prolly hit the road. Might take a shower first.’
‘Okay.’
I nod toward the bathroom. ‘You wanna come with?’
On the road out to Rapture, I think about nothing but Hollie.
Took me a long time to get out her door. To finally tear myself from her company, both in her bed, and out of it. I’m late for work but I don’t give a good goddamn.
On my motorcycle, underneath my helmet, I’m grinning like an insane person, because, man, I am so gone for her. I’m already counting down the hours ’til my workday is done, so I can get back there. She’s smart, sweet, funny and caring.
