Page 63 of It's Always Sonny

“Get off me!”

“Show me your abs!”

Janes go flying as Sonny pushes past them and picks me up off the floor, pulling me into a tight hug that makes me feel like I’ve just come out of hibernation after the coldest winter of my life.

He’s kept his eyes closed the whole time.

I let him hold me close, but I don’t hug back. I can’t. I sink into him, but I don’t dare embrace him, because if I do, I’ll never let go.

“You can open your eyes,” I whisper, my cheek pressed against his.

“No, it’s okay,” he says. “I don’t need to see you seeing me cry.”

“Been there, done that.” When we broke up.

He lets out a pained laugh. “Ouch. Too soon.”

“It’s been seven years.”

“Exactly. You can laugh about it once I’ve recovered.”

His words smash into the wall that guards my heart. A fracture spreads from the point of impact, rocking the entire thing.

The wall is getting dangerously close to crumbling.

He sets me back down, holding my head against his chest for longer than I should allow. I’m not sure when the Janes left, but I am sure that I’ve reached my emotional capacity for the afternoon.

I push back and crane my head to look up at him. “Thanks, Sonny. You really can open your eyes.”

He keeps them sealed. “You said I couldn’t see you like this.”

“That Sonny couldn’t,” I say. “I think this one can.”

His aqua eyes fly open. His gaze cuts through me, and his soft smile stitches me back up.

“You’re beautiful.”

“You’re crazy.”

“The two aren’t mutually exclusive.” He smooths a stray lock of hair. He opens his mouth to say more, but he stops. And then he hugs me again.

He keeps his arms wrapped around me, holding me like I’m precious.

And he just hugs me.

“Thanks for letting me be here,” he finally says. “I’ll see you again whenever you’re ready.”

I expect him to kiss my forehead—want it, even—but instead he lets go. And he leaves the cabin.

And all I can do is watch him go.

Chapter Eighteen

Parker

After Sonny leaves, I put on my second de-puffing eye mask of the day and fix my ponytail, which is messy from both the helmet and the affection. The eye mask and concealer hide the dark circles under my eyes, while a cheerful pink lipstick makes my smile look brighter than I could ever feel.

No, that’s not quite true.

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