Page 234 of Irreversible

“But the fact that you said the wordwefive times during that panic-ramble tells me a lot.”

I’m not sure what to say to that. “Does it?”

“Yes. Especially considering it was connected to future dates. It sounds like you thinkwehave something you don’t want to end right now.”

“Did you expect me to?”

She rubs her fingers over her forehead, bringing them down to her cheeks. Her body drops against mine.

She looks…thoughtful? Hopeful? Sad?

I don’t know, but this time, I don’t try to distract her.

“I don’t really know what you’re thinking, Isaac.” Her eyes rove my face, studying me like she’s trying to piece together a puzzle. Her hands drop, one trailing lightly over my heart. “I’m not sure what you want, or what you need; if you’ll stick around, or disappear into the wind in the next hour. But I know that the thought of it makes me want to cry.”

A glossy sheen glimmers in her blue irises.

There’s a pang in my chest where her hand rests, and it has nothing to do with the injury.

“Oddly enough, I’m hoping the fact that you seem on the verge of a meltdown is a good sign.” Her lips turn up in a half smile. “If you didn’t care, you’d just leave without a backward glance. Wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah. I guess I would.”

“Then I’ll take this as a positive.” Her fingers thread through my hair, stroking lightly, soothing, moving down to the back of my neck to gently knead the sore muscles there.

“I don’t know how to do this, Bee.”

“Be together?” She frowns a little. “It’s not that difficult. We’re doing it right now.”

Exhaling, I lift my good arm, gesturing for her to tuck into my side. “For the record, you’re the only person I’ve ever considered doing this with.”

She pulls her face to mine, rubbing against the scruff of my beard. “That’s a good start.”

The ceiling fan circles slowly over our heads, and I stare at it, unblinking, letting it take me into a hypnotic space. “I’m just not sure what you’ll need from me. Or what comes next.”

Snuggling into my side, she molds her body to mine. “All relationships evolve. The only thing we need to know right now is whether we want to go forward with our lives without the other person in it.”

My eyes snap to hers. “I don’t.”

“Neither do I.”

I nod once.

We’ll just let it evolve.

Her lips brush against mine, and I press in, sealing our mouths together. My hand tangles in her hair, tugging her head backward. Then I lick a line along her jaw, to her neck, where I nip at the tender skin.

It hits me like an epiphany that should have been obvious all along.

“I was never going to leave tonight,” I whisper into her throat.

She hums dreamily, her eyes drifting closed.

“Or tomorrow.” My fingers move between her legs, pulling a moan from her. “Or next week.”

Or probably…

Ever.

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