Page 44 of Bring me Back

“I separated through the ages; medieval, 20s, 50s, 70s…” she explained. “And cosplay.Star Wars,Game of Thrones,Lord of the Rings…”

“Did you make them all for Ms. Handall?”

She made a face, thinking for a second. “Not all, no,” she finally replied.

“Why did you have to think about it?”

“Where art thou, proud Demetrius? Speak thou now!”Tommy yelled from the stage.

“Because I made some of them for me. But I’d never wear them.”

“Why?”

Hallie twisted her lips, arching an eyebrow with a teasing glint in her eyes. “I don’t know if you noticed Daniel, but I’m a little shy.”

“No shit? You shy? You’re always picking on me.”

Her mouth fell open. “I never pick on you!”

I shook my head. “Sure. You tease me a lot. Is that better?”

Hallie bit her lower lip and I wished she didn’t. I liked when we were goofing off, but when she did something like that, I remembered how much I’d been thinking of the other parts of her.

Like that bottom lip, she insisted on chewing. Those legs that were always on display because of the hot days. Even her hands were perfect. Long fingers, trimmed nails, precise movements.

“I never teased anyone before,” she confessed, and I couldn’t stop myself from feeling proud that she chose me to be the first one.

“You saved all of it for me?”

I was hungry for everything she had to give. First her words, then her laughs and truths. It was endless, took me apart as much as it put me back together. Thirty-six years old and sometimes I felt brand new.

“You’re easy to talk to,” she breathed, leaning her head on the chair, still watching me rather than the kids on stage.

“And there was a time you didn’t want to talk to me…”

She shook her head. “I always wanted to talk to you. But I liked our game. I never had a game with anyone before.”

“I like taking all of your firsts.” Rolled off my tongue before I could stop it.

And then I froze. I meant it in the most innocent way, but once it was out of my lips, it hit Hallie at once.

All of her firsts.

She stopped, lifting her head, looking at me with wide eyes. I should’ve told her I meant I liked being her first friend. Or I should’ve deflected and changed the subject. But I did nothing. I stood there, watching as she worked a lump in her throat. I couldn’t stop myself from wondering—shit, not even wondering –knowingthat Hallie was a virgin.

I had no business knowing that. And I definitely had no business insinuating that I was going to take her virginity.

Christ, it was bad.

My eyes traced the delicate round of her cheeks. I rasped, “I’m sorry.”

She shook herself off, turning away from me. “It’s ok.”

“I didn’t mean it…”

She cleared her throat. “Of course not.”

“It’s none of my business, Cricket.”

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