Page 48 of Home Is Where You Are

Pulling on a pair of basketball shorts and a random shirt I’d found, I walked over to where she stood, her hands full of her clothes and boots.

Taking the items from her grasp, I held out a pair of sweats. I pretended to give her the answer to solve all her current problems, but I just wanted to see her in my clothes longer.

“Fine. We’ll do this your way. Turn around please,” she asked, and I let out another laugh.

She grabbed the sweats from my hand and got dressed in a hurry.

“Why are you still sitting there? We have to go,” she replied as she looked over at the clock to see the time.

I knew once she realized the time, she’d be pissed.

“Are you kidding me, Gentry? It’s only seven in the morning.”

I hadn’t even looked at the time, but my gut told me it was still early.

I just wanted to see her. Hold her in my arms for a little longer before we returned to reality. Behind these four walls we could be whoever we wanted to be without the watchful eyes of her family. Here, she’d let her guard down and let me in.

She tried to stalk off toward the door, but she wasn’t fast enough. I caught her just before she reached her goal and pulled her toward the bed I’d just left.

“We need to talk before we go out there,” I told her as I situated her in my lap. Her arms went around my neck as she looked at me with frustration.

“About what?” she asked, her eyes softening as she stared back at me.

I’d spent many sleepless nights longing for her to be beside me. Sharing her day with me. Holding her tight as she fell asleep.

“Last night I had no intentions of kissing you. I don’t want you to think that. I had this plan all laid out in my mind when I found out you were returning, and it got ruined in an instant when I saw you dancing with that guy last night. Seeing his hands on you caused me to react in a way I never thought possible. I just need to know what you’re thinking in that beautiful head of yours,” I said as I brushed the strands of hair that had fallen out of her face.

“I made a promise to myself before I returned home. I wasn’t going to lead you on or let you get close again. But you ruined my plan to stay away. I should’ve known it wouldn’t be as simple as I’d hoped it would be.” Her forehead met mine as she smiled softly.

“Do you regret the kiss?” Asking that question hurt as I let the words fall from my lips. I needed to know the answer. But I was also afraid to know what her response would be.

She ran her fingers over the back of my hand and worried her lip with her teeth, something she’d always done when she was deep in thought.

Lifting her head, she looked into my eyes and gave me her answer.

“No, I don’t.”

I wanted to fist bump the air at hearing those words. That meant I had a fighting chance.

“But we can’t do that again, Gentry. We can be friends, but that’s it.”

Friends. That was for the best. I couldn’t trust her to stay. I didn’t even know if she was staying.

“Are you feeling okay this morning? How’s your arm?”

She twisted to look down at her bicep.

I had to rein in the anger coursing through me at the sight of that man’s fingerprints marring her beautiful skin.

“It looks worse than it feels. Just sore,” she said as she looked up at me, her teeth biting her lower lip.

I loved to hate it when she did that.

We could be friends only when we left this room.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to feel her lips on mine. Had to get lost in her before she walked out of this room and pretended last night hadn’t happened.

My lips crashed onto hers with a mind all their own. Her arms wrapped tighter around my neck as she held me close.