Page 108 of Possess Me! (I Want You To)

I wanted to rise for him, a constant reminder that sometimes things could exceed expectations.

I wanted to prove to him that even though there were millions of shitty people out there, some of us were still good. Some of us were kind. Some of us could see past the prickly exteriors of sadistic ghosts, to the haunted men hiding behind barbs and fury. Some of us loved others for their faults, and not despite them. Some of us deserved a little faith.

“Still quiet,” Prudence reminded me.

I laughed. Maybe it was a bit manic. Maybe not. But I latched on to his shoulder and turned him, forcing him to look at me. Touching him without permission still felt wrong. Like I was breaking an unspoken rule between us. His eyes were glacier pale, the dark fringe of his lashes blending in with the smudges of exhausted bruising beneath his eyes. For someone who claimed he didn’t need to sleep, he sure looked tired.

“Prudence…” I took a steadying breath. “Some people are going to disappoint you—” His lips thinned and he started to turn away, clearly fed up with my bullshit, but I caught him, brushing my palm gingerly along the swell of his jaw to keep him steady, our gazes meeting.

His attention felt heavy.

I was sure he could feel my heartbeat in my fingertips where they pressed against his cool skin.

“But some people won’t.” My pulse quivered as I recalled all the times in my life I’d disappointed myself. Every time I’d ignored a phone call just because I was ashamed of the mistakes I’d made. Ashamed enough I kept making more. I swallowed the lump in my throat, searching his gaze for the steadiness he always exuded.

“They can’t disappoint me if my expectations are low enough,” Prudence said, and I stroked over the hinge of his jaw before releasing him, my hands trembling from that simple touch alone. Touching him was like touching a rabid animal. Always scared you’d get bit. Though I realized…it had been a long time since he’d done anything to make me wary.

“If your expectations are low, they can always surprise you.” I flashed him an optimistic grin and watched the way the ice in his eyes melted. His expression was almost fond, if not a little miffed—like usual—as he looked at me.

Ah.

I’d almost forgot.

I reached into my hoodie pocket, rooting around, biting the tip of my tongue in concentration as I searched for my prize.

“What are you doing?” he asked, clearly annoyed. Confused? Both? It was hard to tell since his face only had one default setting. Chronically pissed off. I ignored him and continued to fight with my pocket till I had what I wanted, my heartbeat wobbling, my eyes warm as I latched on to his hand and pressed my prize into his waiting palm, my own blocking it from his sight.

Where our skin touched fire blazed.

To prove my point, I waited, making sure Prudence was paying attention before I pulled my hand away to reveal the object I’d placed in his grip.

An Oreo.

The last Oreo.

“Tah-dah!” I waggled my fingers in a jazzy little dance, watching the way Prudence stared down at the cookie, flummoxed. I’d never seen him look so adorably confused before. Like he didn’t know what to say—or think. Like he didn’t know how to react to the simple act of kindness. “I know you said not to, but I saved this for you,” I chuckled a little awkwardly, brushing the cookie dust off my hands and grimacing when I noticed how beat up the Oreo had become from riding around in my pocket. It probably had dirt on it too. Which was…not as appetizing as I’d hoped. “It’s a bit smooshed though.”

Embarrassment tinged my cheeks red and I shuffled awkwardly, biting my lip while I waited anxiously to see what he’d say. Maybe he’d think the gift was as stupid as I was now realizing it was.

He kept staring at the cookie.

For.

A.

Million.

Years.

And then he just…popped it into his mouth. His cheeks puffed up as he chewed and he glared out at the sunset, the exhaustion written across his features slowly bleeding pink and persimmon as sunbeams fell behind the shadowed mountain and lavender clouds turned indigo. And when finally he had finished chewing, I watched enraptured as the corner of one side of his mouth turned up, and the glacier blue of his eyes turned sweet.

“The world is a big place,” I promised him, the warmth in his eyes making me lightheaded.

It was then that I realized as Prudence spread his legs just wide enough his thigh brushed mine, his gaze remaining on the tree line—that I was completely totally fucked.

Because I loved him.

I loved him so goddamn much.

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