Page 78 of Still Beating

There’s no mistaking the way her fist grips the spine of the glass and a small gasp escapes her mouth. “That’s not a good idea.”

“No,” I agree. “It’s not.”

But my eyes cut to her mouth anyway, and hers trail to mine. We look back up at the same time.

Cora chugs the rest of her wine and places the empty glass beside her. I think she’s going to start scratching her wrist, but a fresh bandage provides a barrier, so she runs her hand along her arm instead, almost like she’s cold. “I should get to bed. I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

She glances at me, and I’m not sure if that was supposed to be an invitation or not.Shit. I realize I have no idea what I’m even doing.

But I came here for a reason, so I reply, “I can lie with you until the lights come back on.”

Cora bites her lip, grazing her teeth back and forth as she processes the offer. Then she gives me a small, agreeable nod and rises from the couch.

I must not scare her quite as much as the dark.

Standing up, I watch as Cora saunters down the hallway, her white tank and shorts the only thing visible as she heads towards the bedroom. I make my way over to the bed, careful not to trip on anything in the process, and roam my hands across the sheets as I slide in. I feel her body heat from the center of the bed, so I scoot my way to her and slink my arm around her middle. Cora stiffens for a moment, as if she’s surprised by the contact. “Sorry… is this okay?”

She responds by moving in closer, nuzzling into my chest like she’s done so many times before, and letting out a long breath. “It’s okay.”

I can almost feel the tension leave us both, my nose nestled in her soft hair, her warm body pressed into me like she’s the missing piece to my puzzle. Cora lies on her back with my lips to her ear, and I feel her shiver every time I exhale. She dances her fingers up my arm as we embrace the darkness together.

“Do you want to know the worst night of my whole life?” she asks suddenly, her voice merely a whisper, yet so loud in the silent room.

The truth is, I don’t think I want to know… but I assume she wants to tell me. “What was it?”

Cora tickles my arm as her fingers glide back down, inciting goosebumps to sprout all over my skin. “It was the night after we… well, the first time you had to…” She swallows. “You didn’t talk to me. You didn’t sing. And it was so dark.”

God, she’s going to rip my heart out. I close my eyes and squeeze her closer to me, my fingertips unconsciously dipping beneath the hem of her tank top. She lets out a squeaky sound when I trail them along the skin just below her belly button. “That was the worst day, and night, of my whole fucking life, Corabelle. I didn’t know what to say to you.” I inhale her freshly washed hair, burying my face into the crook of her neck. “What could I say?”

“I wasn’t mad,” she responds in a breathy tone, pressing herself even closer to me. “I understood.”

“No.” I shake my head, her golden locks tickling my nose. “You couldn’t possibly understand. I spent the whole night wishing I’d let him kill me.”

Cora jerks her head to her left, pinning her eyes on me. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s the truth.”

“No… Dean, don’t ever say that again. Don’t even think it.” She twists around until we’re facing each other, and my hand slides up behind her top, caressing the small of her back. Cora maintains my gaze for a long time before dipping her chin and sucking in a choppy breath. “Remember when we were trading confessions?” she asks, still avoiding my gaze.

I nod, and our noses almost kiss. “I remember.”

Her tongue slicks over her lips and her eyes close as she pieces together her words. “You told me two confessions and I only told you one.”

My hand instinctively rises up her back, massaging her spine, then curves around to her front. I splay my fingers along her stomach, feeling her body melt into me, and my breathing picks up to match my racing heart. “Do you have another confession?”

Cora nods timidly, her lips parting as she arches into my roving hand. I slide it up her middle until my fingers graze the underside of her breast.

Fuck, I’m getting hard. I should probably stop touching her.

But I want to keep touching her. The last time we were trapped in the dark, we couldn’t even touch our toes together.

“Tell me,” I whisper, lowering my hand and curling it around her waist. I leave it there, waiting for her to speak.

Cora’s eyes flutter open, and it almost feels like it takes all of her courage to let them meet mine. She inhales sharply, then lets it out, her breath skimming my lips. “The only time I felt safe was when you were inside of me.”

Her words shoot straight to my groin. My cock twitches in my jeans, remembering exactly how it felt being inside of her. Only… I thought she was repulsed. Outraged.Horrified.

“Me, too.” I manage to get those two words out as my hand crawls back up her body and cups her breast, forcing a moan from her lips. Her pelvis thrusts against mine, and I grab her face in my hands and start kissing the fuck out of her. When my tongue pushes past her lips, it’s just as desperate as before. Just as wild and untamed. We are pulled together, fueled by our memories and trauma and desire andneed.

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