“The night we got drunk?”
“Mhmm,” he hums, sucking on my Adam’s apple.
I hope it leaves a mark.
“I didn’t think you remembered much.”
That sweet mouth finds the crook of my neck.
“I remember you in my bed.”
“Oh?”
“And waking up in the middle of the night, hard and holding you.”
My heart soars, my hands gliding underneath his shirt. Touching him is a luxury I’ll never take for granted.
“You know what I remember?” I ask. He shakes his head. I trace the ridges of his spine, eliciting a shiver from him. “You asked me to promise you something.”
He stills.
I lean back to find him avoiding my gaze. Cupping his cheek, I lift his face to mine. Hazel eyes scan me with nervous apprehension.
“But you fell asleep… what did you want me to promise?”
His body trembles, hands braced on my chest. Swallowing hard, he pinches the cotton of my shirt and whispers, “To never leave me.”
The wind threatens to sweep away his confession. Chills wash through me. I don’t know what the future holds but he’s already branded on my bones. An integral part of my existence. The sole source of light in my dark world.
“I think I can manage that,” I murmur. “Though, I need you to promise me something in return.”
His head tilts.
I rub my thumb over his bottom lip. “One day, we're gonna escape this place… together.”
“Deal,” he whispers and seals it with a kiss.
20
Remy
There’s a crown of barbed wire circling my head. My eyes have been replaced with jagged stones too large for the sockets. Gritty sand coats my tongue and throat.
This hangover is a death sentence.
I shuffle into the kitchen, hip-checking the counter and hissing through my teeth.That’s gonna bruise.After waking up from a nap and vomiting, (I was convinced my stomach would end up in the toilet) I checked the clock.
Already seven in the evening.
I'm never drinking again.
Pretty sure I’ve said that before, but whatever.
I've spent my waking hours piecing together blurry and embarrassing moments from the night before. Slinging back tequila shots. Avoiding Win. Dancing with someone. Arguing with Win. Crying in the street. Riding home with Win. Falling up the stairs. Win catching me. Laying on the floor with Mitz. Win sitting at the edge of my bed. Closing my eyes.
Win kissing my forehead.
“Ask me, baby.”
