Page 7 of Until We Fall

“D?” Rory’s looking worried now, that wrinkle between his brows deepening, and the only thing I can think about is… he was reading that. And it was hot. It wassohot.

And…didhe almost kiss me?

What if he wanted to?

He’s still looking at me. His skin looks so warm, the sun sliding across his chest and lighting up the bottom of his chin, that one freckle I like so much.

My fingers are twitchy, my feet restless on the thin airplane carpet, and a fold in my jeans is pressing uncomfortably against the inside of my thigh. I’m feeling self-conscious. Or maybe justawareof myself, my body. Every follicle of hair lifting on my forearm. Every slight bump of turbulence.

I scrub at the side of my neck, trying to look at ease. “Do you think we’re almost there?”

Shit, my voice sounds weird.

He frowns, crossing his arms over his chest and pushing back into the seat. “Probably about halfway?”

“Fuck,” I mumble.

He flips open the case to his reader, and my eyeballs nearly fall out of my head.

He’s going toread?

About docking.

Docking, docking.

DOCKING.

What is it?What are Leo and Oliverdoing? There are too many thoughts in my brain.

I can’t sit here and watch him read. I need something to distract?—

“Hey, it’s my friend’s birthday.” Carter’s voice bellows over the entire plane.

Oh, thank fuck.

Carter’s about to do something obnoxious, which is a usual occurrence. He’s standing in the aisle, grinning, hazel eyes glowing. “Think we could all sing to him? His name’s Theo!”

Theo laughs, shaking his head.

This is Carter. It’s not Theo’s birthday. It’s just Carter.

But somehow, luckily for me, Carter gets the entire plane to singHappy Birthday. Rory joins in, and Theo’s laughing so hard his eyes are watering and his face turns red, which is a good thing because he hasn’t been smiling much lately. He’s been going through some shit.

But I can’t hardly focus on any of it as the whole plane sings. I do, too.

I think?

I honestly don’t know. I’m doing one thing on the outside and another on the inside.

And I know that I probably shouldn’t be reacting so strongly to Rory and Oliver and Leo and docking and cocks and foreskin. But Iam.

I can’t seem to turn it off.

Rory’s eyes crinkle as he sings, his freckles blooming over his cheeks. He looks so happy.

He says something to me, leaning in, his hand settling on my forearm, his fingers pressed lightly against my skin.He’s touching me.

Oh god, he’s touching me.

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