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My life hadn’t been a bed of roses, but I made it work. We weren’t all lucky enough to have a rich relative swoop in and save us.
Guilt hit me like a tidal wave.
I was so happy Blake hadn’t endured the same life I had.
One of us got away; one of us made it, and I would never take that away from him.
If anyone deserved it, Blake did.
But I was only human, and denying the coil of envy snaking through me was impossible.
Needing to break the heavy mood, I said, “Can I get you a drink? I don’t have much to offer.”
“No, I’m good.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t think it would be this awkward.”
I don’t know if his honesty reassured me or made me feel worse, but then Blake came over and wrapped me in his arms, and everything else melted away.
All my insecurities and worries about what lay ahead drifted into oblivion.
In Blake’s arms, I felt safe, warm… I felt loved.
I always had.
His icy cold hands swept into my hair, as he whispered in my ear, “I missed you.” His warm breath tickled my ear, and I ducked my head away from him.
“Not so fast.” His fingers caught my chin, and he tilted my face up to his, gazing down at me like I was his entire world.
And when his lips brushed against mine gently, once, twice, it felt like I was.
I wound my hands around his neck and anchored us together, deepening the kiss.
How could anything we were doing be wrong when it felt so right?
Our tongues danced together, and heat pooled low in my stomach. Feelings so unfamiliar to me suddenly felt so innate, so essential; it was hard to believe I’d lived without them for so long.
I craved to be with Blake again, and my body was already ready to succumb, but we’d left too much unsaid.
“Blake, wait.” I tried to catch my breath, pulling away from him.
“Yeah.” He gave me a sad half-smile.
He knew.
We were allowing our emotions, our need for one another, to distract us from what was important right now.
I shrieked as Blake scooped me up in his arms and carried me into the bedroom. He laughed but kept me cradled to him until he lowered me onto the bed and said, “Give me five minutes.”
His lips pressed to my forehead, and he disappeared out of the room. I lay there confused as I heard him leave the apartment.
A couple of minutes passed, and then I heard him return.
“Everything okay in there?” I called out, wondering what all the banging and rustling was.
“Yeah, stay put.”
I couldn’t help the smile on my lips. Blake had the ability to take an awkward, heavy situation and turn it on its head with his charm and playfulness. The laughter in his voice had me wondering what he was up to this time.
Moments later, he appeared in the doorway holding one of my dinner trays. It was loaded with chips, cookies, soda, and a pumpkin pie. “Happy Thanksgiving, Penny.”
