Page 84 of Echoes of Us

“But what about the pretzel sleeping?” he asked, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Despite myself, a smile crept up my face. Noah laughed first, and I followed, the tension easing between us.

“You’re fucking insane. Did you know that?” I asked him.

“I know, I’m sorry. I like sleeping with you. It makes me feel safe,” Noah admitted, leaning his forehead on mine.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, and he slid his hips closer to me, closing the distance between us.

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, but I love having you around all the time. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I don’t. I’m sorry I got in this shitty mood with you. You’re right. It’s not fair.”

I relaxed, the knot in my chest loosening. This was more like it. “I hated you turning on me like that,” I told him quietly.

He grabbed my face and made me look at him. “Please don’t stop staying over. When I get like that, I just need you to give me room, but not like I want you to leave the apartment. Move to the other room, or something. Let me come down from it and find you.”

Maybe I had pressed too hard. “Okay.”

Noah pressed closer and kissed me. “I love you.”

I smiled, feeling the overwhelming warmth those words had brought to my chest.

“I love you, too, even if you are crazy,” I told him, and he sniggered. “So we’re staying here?”

“Yeah, let’s sleep in your tiny bed,” he whispered, slowly kissing my cheek, moving down my jaw to my neck, pressing his lips over my skin. “It gets a little hot, so we might need to take off all your clothes.”

“Noah.” I groaned.

He smirked and rested his forehead on mine, running his tongue over his lip. I leaned closer to him and chased it into his mouth. He made an appreciative sound and kissed me back, his fingers diving into my hair and holding me close. These things with Noah always went from one to a hundred during one kiss.

I touched the skin under his shirt and ran my hands over his back as he nibbled on my lip before sucking it into his mouth. “Hold on to my neck.”

He broke apart to look at me for a second, puzzled. “What?” he asked but still complied.

I grabbed his thighs, reached under his legs, and pushed up from the chair. His eyes doubled in size as he tightened his grasp around my neck, surprised by the sudden movement. I moved towards the bed and dropped him on it, climbing over him and kissing his neck. He captured my face, drawing me back towards his.

“You just carried me,” he said, still looking surprised but smiling.

“Yeah, I did,” I replied, kissing him again.

“I’ve never done that before. No one’s ever carried me like that before.”

I smiled against his lips. “You liked it, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I really fucking liked that,” he admitted.

“I figured you might, considering you like to be on top of me all the time,” I teased.

He tittered, his legs tightening and pulling me down on him, his hands firm on my back. “That’s not true. I like you being on top of me too. You’re so heavy.”

“Why do you like that?”

“I don’t know. It feels manly. You’re a very manly man. I like that a lot,” he told me.

I kissed him again. “You’re a manly man too,” I pointed out, as he arched under me, trying to push himself closer.

“Not like you. I’m not heavy at all, and guys always hit on me. They can tell. Nobody can tell with you, except me.” His face was smug.

But I just blinked. “What do you mean guys hit on you all the time?”

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