Page 118 of From You to Me

“Here drink this.” He handed me a bottle of cool water.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, chugging the sweetness down my throat.

He laughed as he watched me.

“Enough,” I muttered, passing it off to him.

The heat from my body finally cooled down. I sighed happily, I cuddled closer to the sheets. Every bone in my body felt so relaxed, and I wanted to go back to sleep.

Jay slid over to his side, bringing my body closer to him. We couldn’t escape our lips touching as we slowly kissed each other, savoring the moment like we had all the time in the world.

Who knew? Maybe we did.

“You okay?” he asked, smiling as we parted.

“Hmm,” I mumbled as I wrapped my arms around him, nuzzling my face into his neck.

“Sleep, I’ll be here when you wake up,” he muttered, pressing soft kisses along my shoulder.

“Hmm,” I mumbled again as my body gave way to sleep.

I didn’t care about all our problems and fears. I didn’t care about constant doubts and the reasons we shouldn’t be together.

At the moment, he was all I needed.

And I was all he needed too.

CHAPTER 27

“Go out with me,” Jay asked, his voice sounding hopeful.

I froze, my hand midway on my coffee mug that was making its way up to my lips.

“What?” I mumbled, averting my gaze like I hadn’t just heard him say that. If my thundering heart echoing down the silent room was any clue, I heard it just right.

“Go out with me,” he repeated in the same tone like he knew I had heard it the last time.

“Like a date?” I asked in a meek voice as I slid my gaze over to him again.

He smiled, shaking his head. “Yes, Evelyn. I think going out means just that. But if you want it in words then, go out with me, on a date.”

I swallowed, the speech centers in my brain trying hard to formulate the words into my mouth. “I don’t know,” I muttered. The tips of my ears instantly sparkled red at my weak reply.

It wasn’t like I didn’t want to go out with him. But it was the fact that if I did, then what?

Every time he asked me something, I immediately said yes, and only got destroyed at the end.

This time, I wanted that point after a long rally. I wanted to hit that match point. I wanted to rule the ball on my side of the court. And I wanted to win.

Everything in our relationship has been according to his terms, but if we were ever going to do this, I wanted things to go down my way.

“It’s just a date. Say yes, and you won’t regret it.” He leaned against the kitchen counter with his arms folded; his backdrop was of a few different shades of pink peonies.

The bitter coffee washed down my throat as I shook my head. “I’m actually going to say no.”

He frowned, sliding his hands to the counter behind him, knuckles turning pale as he gripped them. “Why not?”

I lifted a shoulder. “I’ve been saying yes to everything you ask. I need to learn how to say no.”

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