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He’s inches away.Inches. “I get it.” He’s soothing, sympathetic. “You’re afraid that if I don’t go to your fancy art school with you, you won’t have anything good to draw. You must be so scared.”
“I don’t even like you.”
“That’s why it’s so awful,” he whispers. “You don’t evenlikeme, because I’mso hot,and yet…you need me. For your drawings.”
Two can play this game. At least, I’m pretty sure I can play his game. Just have to keep breathing. “You’re right.” I let my voice shake. “I’m so scared you won’t be there, and I’ll never draw again.”
“They won’t want me there.”
“Iwant you there. Ineedyou there.”
“Poor thing.” The words are a warm breeze on my lips. “It would be a dick move to let you suffer without me.”
He’s screwing with me. I shouldn’t let him. But maybe he’s not. And—
“Then come with me. Pick one of the places with me.”
Nate leans in another inch. “Sayplease.”
I’m melting. Into a puddle. A rainbow electric puddle. “Nate.” I lean my chin down into his hand. “Please come to a fancy art school with me.Please.”
He leans in and kisses me, catching the word in his mouth. Oh—oh, no, he’sgoodat it. He’s confident and warm and when his tongue brushes my bottom lip I let him in, let him—
Nate pulls away, and I bat his hand away from my face, struggling to catch my breath. He leans back in his chair and tucks his hands behind his head like nothing happened.
“Okay, princess. I’ll go with you. But only because you need it so bad.”
23
ELISE
“How do youdothat?”
The ceiling of Gabriel’s bedroom is shadow and light, shadow and light as headlights bounce through the windows. It’s not a bad view, especially when the rest of my body feels so,sogood.
“Do what?” Gabriel cuddles me closer. One day, we’re going to be able to do this without worrying so much about his ribs. Until that day, I’m happy to lie naked in his bed and put in the extra work so it doesn’t hurt to touch me.
“It’s like…” I wave a hand in the air in a pointless loop.
Gabriel lifts his hand and mimics the movement. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“I just thought that coming so hard was a myth.”
“Ah. And yet here I am.”
“Here you are.”
We watch the headlights on the ceiling together.
“I should close the curtains,” Gabriel says.
“No. Entertainment.”
He laughs. “Having only headlights as entertainment does not speak well of your life, sweetness.”
“It’s something to watch while I listen to your heart beat.”
“Does it sound good?”
