Page 26 of Her Ex-Husband's Brother

Imisshaving a warm body in bed beside me at night, and not just because of the regular access to sex.

I liked the meals together, and always having a person to talk to, and having someone to tackle life together with.

Life is really fucking terrifying, I don’t know if you’ve noticed.

Even with how bad I fucked it up, Priscilla was still the best thing that ever happened to me. I’d probably be dead now if it wasn’t for her. And then getting a human as amazing as Owen out of the whole mess?

It’s so much more than I ever deserved.

And it’s also why, as good as this feels, it’s best I enjoy it while I’ve got it.

And then, along with the wild, amazing memories of last night, I need to take this experience for what it was, with gratitude that I can pull the recollection of it to spiral over as a pleasant thought when the other noise gets too loud.

Because every single bit of last night was…fantastic.

I’m generally aiming for a base level offinein my life lately, so running across a little bit of terrific is?—

Well, it makes me want to hold this strange, weirdly wonderful woman tighter.

Exactly when I need to be planning how I’ll pull away from her body and go start my day.

Because it is officially time to get the hell out of here and start hitting my regular routine. Hard.

Stick to the plan. No deviations.

I have things to do. The shop doesn’t open until ten but I need to swim first, and I’ve got to eat something before I swim.

I told her I’d be gone before seven. It’s not yet six but it’s close enough that staying is starting to feel like a choice rather than just inertia.

I should extract myself carefully and go back to my RV and start my day and let her sleep. She’s got an enormous amount of life to sort out today and she doesn’t need me in the middle of it causing her problems or delays…

I know myself well enough to get that I’m best in short doses. I’m a walking disaster at the best of times and a fucking curse on people’s lives at the worst.

Nobody needs that. Certainly not her.

Still… I don’t move.

Instead, I stay just where I am and allow myself to inhale her hair. It smells like a faint, delicious floral with a little bit of chlorine mixed in since we didn’t exactly shower properly when we got in last night.

Her breathing is slow. Her hand open against my ribs. She looks like someone who has finally stopped running after a very long day.

I look at the ceiling.

She’s leaving today, I think.

Probably today.

Either way, soon enough she’ll figure out her next move and she’ll be gone. And I’ll still be here doing my laps. I’ll think about her in the cold water when I want to think about something good.

She shifts in her sleep, letting out a small little noise, her hand closing loosely around a fold of the sheet. I look at the top of her head and take another long inhale. Like a creeper. Fuck.

I’msogoing to get up.

In a minute. Just one more minute.

The light outside is softening from gray-blue to something warmer, and I can hear the birds starting up in the live oaks along the fence. Somewhere further back in the park someone’s already making coffee. I can smell it through the cracked window. Early risers going about their routines.

Marie takes a long slow breath.