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I’m silent as I watch her running her fingers over the script, taking me back to the fifteen-year-old Willow doing the same thing in the dirt. “It’s taken from you,” I whisper softly, smiling when her eyes flash to mine.
“Me?”
“You scribbled it in the dirt. That day. And it stuck with me.”
Willow bites her lip and glances back to my chest, running her thumbs across the lettering. She hums the song until something hits her and her eyes widen. “Wait. You got this forme?” She gapes.
“I did.” I nod with a chuckle. “No matter how much I tried to push you out of my mind, you never left. Not even for a second. I eventually gave in, and got this when I was twenty. It kind of acted as both a positive and negative reminder.”
“I wish I felt the same connection you do,” she says, her voice choked with emotion. “Maybe I will when I remember more.”
Grabbing her face in my hands, I force her to look at me, to see what I see. “Don’t rush it. You feel more than you realize.”And I’ve had longer to fall.
As Willow drifts off to sleep, I brush my fingers across her naked back and stare at the woman who’s become my everything. No, the woman that’salwaysbeen my everything. And when her breathing evens out, I roll over and get out of bed, double-checking I locked the front door.
I take my time getting a glass of water for each of us, and a shirt for Willow in case she wakes up and wants something clean to wear.
By the time I get back, she’s spread out on the bed, a peaceful smile on her face. If I was truly a good guy, I would probably try and squeeze in beside her, but if my plans work out, she’ll be around for a long time, so I need to establish sides now.
I jump onto the mattress and lift her into my arms, putting her down on the left side, farthest from the door, before lying still behind her, my arms hovering as I consider whether or not I could hold her and still sleep.
Willow stirs as my mind races, and a beautiful little mewl escapes her. “What are you doing?” she rasps.
“Getting comfortable. Sorry for waking you.”
“That’s okay,” she says, reaching back to grab my arm, securing it tightly around her.
I still for a second, until she kisses my hand and wriggles into my hold. “Is this okay?” she whispers. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Or take over.”
I consider her question and the answer shocks me. “This is perfect. I like you in my space.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
“Goodnight, Jesse,” she whispers through a yawn, kissing my hand again.
“Night, Willow.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Jesse
WhenIwakeearlythe next morning, after a great night’s sleep, Willow’s no longer in my arms. Instead, I find her hunched over on the edge of the bed, her hands resting near her lips as she stares ahead, unmoving.
My stomach drops and a tense feeling runs through me. “What happened?” I ask, my voice coming out croaky until I clear my throat.
“Willow?”
She doesn’t answer. She doesn’t even move, and if she wasn’t so close, I’d assume she couldn’t hear me.
“Willow,” I say again, a little louder, and she jumps, spinning around with a fake smile in place.
“Good morning. Sorry if I woke you. I was up early. I’m still getting used to the loud morning sounds of the city.”
Well, that’s a lie. She was always an early riser. Has she forgotten I know that?
“What happened?” I repeat, sitting up to pull her back into my arms.
