Page 90 of When We Crash

We excused ourselves and Dexter led me away, up the stairs with our things.

We entered his room and I exhaled, taking it in. Not much had changed.

The sheets and his computer were no longer there. Other than that, I was in a time machine. When I looked at Dexter, I expected to see that messy bun and the scruff on his chin.

But the man in the suit before me made my mouth water with only a look. His beard was fuller, and his long hair better maintained. I was glad he hadn’t cut it, even if he was a businessman now.

“What are you thinking?” he asked quietly.

“How I want to open up that head and feel what you’re feeling,” I said slowly.

His steps were even slower, and I gulped, licking my lips. As he removed his suit jacket, I ran my teeth over my bottom teeth, catching it between them.

“I’m feeling exactly what you’re feeling,” he told me, placing my hand over his heart and putting his hand over mine. They both thrummed to their own beat erratically. “But what I’m wondering is how much time I have left before we’re supposed to be downstairs.”

I gathered my wits, licking my lips again. “Maybe six minutes.”

“More than I had a month ago.” His hands tugged at my pants while I reached for his zipper. Lips met with that passion that made my heart beat even faster.

Dexter was absolutely the master of my life. He was the puppeteer, the ringleader. He took those six minutes and brought me to heaven, shattering the ceiling and giving me complete bliss. I thought—as he covered me in sweet kisses, rubbing his lips against my hot skin—that while being drunk gave me that haze of ignorance, sex gave me the high of forgetting everything but us.

Dexter could make me forget everything. And that was a dangerous game.

Noa

We walked downstairs,our hands together, palms pressed into each other’s like they used to be. When I turned toward the kitchen, I heard boisterous laughter that could only belong to—

“Noa!” Heavy steps filled the house, and I was lifted into the air. We spun a few revolutions before Ralph set me down on unsteady feet.

I looked up at him and laughed. Finally, the face that had been too much for a teenager fit him. He was always handsome. But in that brawny way that made you think he’d look great in flannel. His strawberry blond hair was thinning already, but he was still a handsome devil.

“How are you?” I asked, a little breathless.

He pinched a piece of my hair, giving it a tug. “I miss the blue. But you look happy with the brown, so I guess it’s all right.” Leave it to Ralph to completely ignore the niceties. “Come meet Nina. I’ve only been talking her ear off about you since Dex rang saying he kidnapped you and brought you back here against your will.”

We walked into the kitchen and the small blonde standing next to Tracey with a glass of wine in hand turned to me, a smile as pretty as she was at the ready.

“Nice to finally meet you, Noa.” She shook my hand and leaned in. “So sorry for your loss.”

Instant mood killer.

I’d been enjoying all these people and laughing while Tim was dead.

Tracey read the reaction on my face and ushered everyone toward the table to eat. “Don’t worry,” she whispered to me, “we’ll handle it all as it comes.” She pursed her lips before bringing food to the dining room table.

I helped, unsure of what else to do. The chair next to Dexter was empty, so I sat there. He clasped my hand beneath the table, and I let myself lean on him emotionally. It was scary, sure, but it felt so right. Especially to me, the person who’d been alone for too long.

We ate in that loud way a family in love eats—people talking over one another and hands gesturing. Tracey still swatted at Ralph for swearing, and Ralph still called Dexter names.

I noticed the lack of alcoholic beverages at the table. It didn’t bother me, but I worried that it bothered everyone else.

“Are you going to see Molly this weekend?” Tracey asked.

Ralph wiped his mouth and peered over at Dexter.

“I was actually thinking of going with Noa. I think she’d get a kick out of meeting her,” Dexter answered before taking a sip of water.

“Mind if I tag along? It’s been a year since my last visit. I want to make sure Greg Senior is still taking care of her,” Ralph piped up. He looked at me and added, “Molly is Greg’s mom.”

---