Page 50 of Where We Fall

One night, while he slept peacefully beside me in his bedroom, the crickets chirping under the cool summer moon, I turned to him. My shifting caused his breathing pattern to change. When his eyes opened, I stared at him.

“I never want to sleep again,” I whispered.

Rather than ask me what I meant, he took my hand and kissed my knuckles.

We lay there whispering to each other and after a few hours, I fell asleep. When I woke up, Dexter was lying exactly where he’d been, still watching me.

We never wanted to miss a moment.

It took years of me being alone in Seattle to kick that habit.

Noa

I wishedfor time to stand still but as the sun began to peek through the curtains, I rolled over with a sigh.

“Blue,” I heard Dexter say as he sank deeper into his pillow, a small twitch of pleasure crossing his lips.

I smiled and sat up, letting the sheet pool at my hips. My body was sore and I was sure I’d find marks from our lovemaking, but I would never regret the things we said and did.

We talked for hours and those beautiful words made me hug myself.

I’d die for you,I’d told him.

I’d rather you live for me,he said in response, as if I wanted to do anything other than that.

I touched my lips, feeling them as they remained smiling. Was I crazy? Was this entire story of ours pure insanity? Would it end well?

I shook my head. It was too late for that. There was no going back; we were in too deep.

I snuck into the bathroom to call Miranda, ignoring her pesky sex questions and asking how Dylan was.

“He’sfine. We’re going to the aquarium today so be sure to get plenty of orgasms in, dear.”

“Miran—”

“Dylan needs me. See you tomorrow!” She hung up and I glanced at my reflection.

My eyes were shiny and wide and full of a happiness I hadn’t seen in so long. I clutched my phone in my hand and took a deep breath before walking back out into the hotel room.

“Morning,” Dexter said, his voice cutting through the room that seemed a lot darker after standing in the bright bathroom.

“Morning.” I was never one to cover my body but I suddenly had the urge to.

I was different after Dylan. Softer. I didn’t have enough time to take care of myself the way I used to. I was pretty sure I needed to trim my split ends and I was sporting a few stretch marks that I’d usually wear with pride. After all, my body carried Dylan and brought him into the world—alive.

But as my eyes adjusted to the dark room, I noticed the way Dexter stared at me. It was the way he always had. Like I waseverything. Like he could want for no more. It was still terrifying.

“Perfect,” he murmured as he turned over onto his stomach and held his hand out.

I shook my head. “I’m not getting back in that bed because then I’ll never leave and I’m hungry.”

Dexter groaned and turned to sit up. “I guess that’s a good enough reason to get up.” He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. “It’s been a while since I took you on a date anyway.”

“Last night wasn’t a date?” I asked as I picked up my ball gown and twirled with it like I was Sandra Dee.

“Not to me it wasn’t,” he said as he stretched up toward the hotel’s speckled ceiling. He stood with a small grunt and scratched his stomach. “I can do better than that.”

“Better than the limo?” I asked.

---