“They’re good.”
“That’s good.”I breathe in deep, catching a hint of beer or something clinging to his T-shirt.“Were you at a bar?”
“The Pelican,” he answers.
“Mmm.”
The bed shifts, and his warmth starts to disappear.“I should probably change?—”
“Stay.”I wrap my arm around him to keep him from leaving me.And because he’s a glutton for giving in to my every whim lately, he caves almost instantly.
Settling against the mattress, he drags his fingers along my bare arm.Slowly.Rhythmically.It feels good.He feels good.And not just in a physical sense.It’s like his presence has some strange, calming effect on me.Like, I can’t really settle until he’s with me.It’s a scary thought, but one I’ve come to terms with over the last little while.And the really crazy part?Ever since the car race, he hasn’t even hinted at wanting to keep his distance, either.It’s like he’s also fully accepted our connection, and instead of fighting it as he had been, he’s embraced it.He’s embraced me.
“Missed you,” he murmurs.
“Mmm,” I hum.
As my eyelids start to fall, he mutters, “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Hmm?”
“What do you know about Bryan?”
Bryan?Wrinkles form along my forehead, though my eyes stay scrunched closed.Why would Ford ask me anything about Bryan, let alone in the middle of the night?Sitting up, I rub my eyes.“What?”
He shakes his head as if hoping it’ll dispel whatever’s on his mind.“Forget it.”He grabs the collar of his shirt and tugs it off.With a thump, it lands on the ground at the edge of the bed.“Come on, lie back down.”
I want to.Boy, do I want to.Especially when he’s half-naked, his eyes are hooded, and he’s lying in my bed.But watching him?The moonlight filtering in through the window and painting his Adonis-like body in light and shadows, it’s easy to see he’s…I don’t know, off?
Catching my stare, he lifts his arm, beckoning me to snuggle into him like we normally do.“Come on.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Is the house okay?”I prod.
With a gentle laugh, he murmurs, “Everything’s fine, Bug.”
“Then why do you want to know about Bryan?”
“It can wait ‘til morning?—”
“I’m already up.”
His sigh is heavy.“Should’ve kept my mouth shut,” he mutters to himself.
“I like this mouth.”I grab his chin and kiss him.“Now, tell me what you want to know about Bryan.”
Another sigh escapes him.“Did he seem weird at the house?”
“The house?”I ask, scooting closer.
“After the fire,” he clarifies.
“Oh.Uh.”I hesitate.“I mean, he was pretty quiet, I guess?And awkward.Kind of nervous, but considering the last time we spoke and how I broke things off only to show up at Ford Harden’s house a little while later, I mean…I don’t blame him.I was probably acting awkward and nervous, too, so…”
“Yeah, that, uh,” he pauses, “that makes sense.Hmm.”He sighs again.“Did he ever give you any red flags or anything?”
