Page 479 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

with a—“Fuckin’ embarrassing.”

A small chuckle vibrates through me,

but it’s only to hide the way my throat goes tight with the sudden, sweet urge to cry. ‘Cause even this became one more thing that could be taken from me.

So when the pulse leaves him

and his hips relax,

my pussy grabs him,

squeezing him tighter⁠—

a wet chokehold,

not wanting him to leave.

Andrew feels it, hums into my throat.

Then in the dark, his lips find mine,

and we kiss without a pace,

lazy, lingering mouth against mouth,

almost as if we’re not kissing at all,

we’re resting in each other.

“You’re my comfort person,” he murmurs, nerves sewn into his breath. “Like, when the world’s worldin’?

“It’s only you.

“Only you I wanna be with.

“Only you I wanna fall asleep in.”

We kiss until we’re falling asleep in each other’s mouths⁠—

slow, parted lips,

all tongue and soft moans.

At last, we've arrived on the same page.

And for one unarmed, naked second,

everything falls away

until it’s only the two of us, surrendered.

I am at his mercy. He is at mine.

We belong to each other,

inevitably, despite all fight,

both of us looking straight into the barrel of truth, utterly helpless.