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“Come for me, baby girl. Come. Now,” he grits, and I do. It’s as if his words have a direct line to my orgasm as wave after wave of pleasure flows through me. I faintly hear him grunting his approval, and shouting, “Oh fuck,” but I’m too lost in my own release, the one I’ve been chasing since coming back to college.
All I needed was Roman.
“I needed you too, baby,” he answers, and I realize I said the words out loud. “I need to clean up, but don’t hang up, okay? Just… wait for me.” His voice is almost pleading, and it’s not what I’m used to when it comes to Roman.
“I’ll do the same.”
I climb off the bed and slip into my robe before darting across the hall to the bathroom. I clean up as quickly as possible, wash my hands, and as I’m reaching for the towel, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. My face is flushed. My pupils are blown, and my eyes are glassy, but I’m smiling.
This must be what being in love looks like.
Turning off the light, I dart back to my room, closing the door, but leaving it unlocked this time. I climb under the covers, curl up with the blanket he gave me in my arms, and pick up my phone.
He’s there, lying in the same fashion, snuggled with the blanket I sent him. “It’s a poor substitute,” he says softly. “But it smells like you, and that’s exactly what I needed today.”
“Tell me about your day.”
“Nothing extraordinary happened. I got up, went to the gym, and went to work. I had a back piece I was working on. It’s a new client, and he’s going to need a few more sessions, but it’s going to be badass.”
“Of course it is. You’re doing it.”
He chuckles. “How about you? Tell me about your day.”
“Good. Nothing eventful here either. Classes, and came home to study. Monroe and I made pasta for dinner, and then we were just sitting on the couch talking when you called.”
He yawns, and I know we should probably hang up.
“I can let you go so that you can get some rest.”
“I haven’t been sleeping.”
“It took me some time to get used to it too. I still wake up and reach for you.”
“I knew this would be hard, Em, but damn, I didn’t know I’d still be struggling weeks into this separation.”
“Do you regret it? Me? I mean, waiting for me?”
“No. Never. Just get that thought right out of your head. I can never, and will never, regret you, baby girl. Ever.”
I pull the blanket he gave me closer to my face and snuggle into it. His familiar scent is fading, but the meaning of the blanket is still here. I sleep with it every night. It’s even wrapped around me when I study. I might have even turned down the thermostat because I was hot when we first got back to school. I have no shame.
“Tell me something, baby.”
“Like what?”
“Everything. Tell me everything.”
“I’m excited and a little nervous about graduating,” I confess. “I know this job is going to be stressful at times, but I really love all of my classes. They’re kicking my ass, but nothing worth having comes easy, right?”
“Like us.”
“It’s effortless with you.”
“That’s not what I meant. It’s the outlying issues, like the fact that we’re hiding this relationship. Even when you’re not here, I fall harder for you every day. It’s difficult to be lying to all four of them. Hell, I haven’t even told my parents.”
“Do you want to? Tell your parents, I mean?”
“Yeah, baby girl. I want to tell them. The moment I kissed you, I was in this, Emerson. I’m torn because I want you. I crave time with you, but that worry for you is still there. I’m not worried about me. I accepted my fate when I lost my willpower to resist you. However, I still fear you losing Forrest over this, and, baby girl, he’s your family. He’s the one who’s stood by you, and made a home for you. I’ve been through it all, and it tears me up inside thinking that you could lose that because of me.”
