Page 64 of The Other Room

Not a dream.

“Good morning, Roomster,” I whispered into her ear.

Her body stiffened for a moment, and then a slow turn of her head brought us face to face.

“Holy shit,” she breathed while she blinked back at me.

I knew that look. I’d probably worn the same one when I woke up with her in my arms. Memories had flooded through my mind while I’d pieced back together every moment that brought us here.

Every incredible, perfect, mind-blowing moment.

“Yep. I’m here. In your bed.”

She brushed against my legs and her eyes widened even more. “And you’re naked.”

“Yep.” I pulled back the covers and peeked beneath them. “And so are you.”

“Holy shit. We’re naked. Together.”

“And we did a lot of fun stuff naked.” I grinned and waggled my eyebrows.

The shock on her face started to dissipate, and I felt her body relax.

“I mean, I remember everything, but it still feels...”

“Surreal.”

“Yes! Surreal. That’s the word.”

“Right there with you, Jo.”

She pinched her brows together. “Good surreal, or bad surreal for you?”

“Good surreal. Amazing surreal. It feels like... it feels like a snow day.”

“A snow day?” she snorted. “What the hell are you talking about?”

I pulled her tighter against my chest and rested my chin on the top of her head. “Do you remember when we were kids and a big snowstorm was coming the night before school, and we’d go to bed wishing and praying that we’d wake up to find school was canceled?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, on the mornings of snow days when I would wake up not to my alarm, or my mom yelling at me to get up, or my sisters screaming at each other over the bathroom, I would realize I’d gotten to sleep in because they had canceled school. And that feeling of excitement... of pure, unadulterated bliss was the happiest I’d ever felt. Just sheer fucking joy. And my whole life, I’ve compared moments of happiness to how I felt waking up on a snow day. Very few have come close, and none have ever matched it. But waking up with you? Well, it feels like a snow day.”

“Oh,” she breathed, and then wrapped her arms around me tight. I felt her warm breath drift across my skin with her sigh. “It kinda does feel like a snow day.”

I kissed the top of her head and left my lips resting in her hair. Closing my eyes, I squeezed her tight, and I didn’t think I’d ever convince my arms to let go.

Not after waiting all this time to hold her.

“Too tight,” she squeaked out. “Can’t breathe.”

I released my grip. “Oops. Sorry. I guess I got a little excited you’re actually in my arms.”

“You’re excited? I’ve been dreaming about this forever.”

“Why didn’t you say anything? Damn it, Jo!” I laughed.

“Why didn’t you say anything? You’re as much to blame in our delay to the sack as I am!”