Page 39 of Never Less

He sighs. “You’ve been doing a lot of that lately. No more, okay?”

I nod. “Okay.”

He pulls me into him again, and this time I let myself relax. Maybe he’s right—maybe I’m not as horrible as Nate. Maybe Marcus and I were both lonely, and we were just exploring what could be. I wasn’t trying to hurt him. In fact, that’s the last thing I wanted.

“You’re nothing like him,” Marcus whispers in my ear as he drapes a blanket over us.

I bite my lip. “I did cheat.”

“Good. I hope it guts him.”

That makes me smile. Because, honestly, I feel the same way. And if Nate thinks he can pull one over on me, he’s got another thing coming. When he gets back tomorrow, I’m ending things like I should’ve a month ago.

For now, though, I push him from my mind and lean into Marcus. We watch the first half of the movie pressed up against each other, but sometime after that, my eyelids begin to droop. When Marcus notices me nodding off, he adjusts so I can rest my head on his chest, and then he pulls the blanket over my shoulders.

The last thing I remember is wondering why I ever thought I could stay away from him.

. . .

When I wake up, the TV is off, and we’re not in the same position I remember falling asleep in. Marcus is lying on his back, and I’m on top of him, my head resting on his chest. His breathing is slow, and when I look up, I realize he must’ve fallen asleep, too.

“Marcus,” I whisper, but he doesn’t answer.

With a yawn, I settle back down and close my eyes. I barely got any rest last night, and I’m assuming the same is true for Marcus. Add on how emotionally exhausting today has been, and it’s no surprise that we both fell asleep.

I trace my fingers up and down Marcus’s arm, too tired and comfy to get up. I like being up against him like this. It’s a casual intimacy, one that I’ve missed dearly. Now that I have it again, I…

What am I going to do?

Figuring out the near future will be complicated enough—breaking up with Nate, moving all my stuff out of the apartment, all that. But that’s not what I’m worried about. The only thing tying me to South Carolina is Nate. If I can move to a bigger city, it’ll be better for my business, and it’s what I’ve always preferred, anyway.

My gaze travels back up to Marcus’s face. I’ve always thought it was nice down here, and he seems to love it. It checks off the big city box, and I wouldn’t be all alone. And, more importantly, it would mean we could be together.

Marcus’s eyelids flutter, and I bite my lip. Would he want me to move in with him? Would it be naive of me to ask if I could? Are either of us even ready for such a big step so early on? It feels… daunting.

“I can hear you thinking, little star,” he murmurs.

“Can you, now?” I tease before planting a kiss on his chest. “When did you gain superpowers?”

He cracks his eyes open and smiles. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I… don’t want to stay in South Carolina.”

The sleepiness disappears from his eyes, and he sits up, taking me with him. “My home is yours, Liliana. You need to do what’s best for you, but just so there’s no confusion or anxiety on your side, know that I want you here. Know that it’s all I want.”

My heart is in my throat as I open my mouth to tell him yes. But the words get stuck somewhere inside me, and I look down. All of this is happening so fast, and although I know what I want, I don’t want to mess up what Marcus and I have by rushing things.

My stomach growls, and Marcus gently deposits me onto the seat cushion next to him. “I’m hungry, too. I suppose chocolate croissants aren’t the most filling of breakfasts.”

“Marcus—”

“It’s okay, little star. It’s a lot to think about.”

It’s not, though. It’s exactly what I want. But what if I don’t measure up to his expectations of me? What if I’m not enough again?

“I… um. I think I need to make a phone call.”

He drops a kiss to the top of my head. “I’ll make us something to eat. Take your time.”

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