Page 76 of The Baller

“What?” I gasped, my eyes shooting wider than they’d ever gone. “I do not snore!”

“Like a tiny, little Goldilocks bear,” he teased as he leaned in brushing his lips to mine, and I almost melted into him, especially when his tongue swiped along the crease of my mouth.

Except then I remembered I’d just woken up, and pulled way back, yanking the sheet to cover my face as I did. I don’t know why I thought a thin piece of cotton – Egyptian no less – would deter him, because he merely laughed harder, tugged the sheet down and smacked a kiss to my lips.

“How about I run and get you some coffee? And when I return, we’ll pick up where we left off, because if you think I’m not taking advantage of kissing the hot girl in my bed, you’re mistaken.” He took one more kiss, and stood up. “I’ll be back in two minutes.”

A girl can do a lot in two minutes under pressure; I managed to pee, brush my teeth, brush my hair, wash the sleep from my eyes, and get back into bed like nothing had happened before he returned.

“Here you go, Goldilocks.” He thrust a steaming coffee mug at me, laughing at the sigh which slipped off my lips. This was good coffee.

“Mmm, thank you. What time is it?”

“A little after ten.”

I’d already had a panic attack in front of him, he knew I didn’t have my shit together, but coffee spraying up your nose is an entirely different ball game. I didn’t know if it was worse when Lux used the bottom of his t-shirt to wipe my face, even if it did gift me with a lightning glimpse of his abs. Rock hard abs.

“Did you say ten?” I spluttered finally.

He nodded, repositioning the pillows until they were stacked against the headboard and leaned back. I found myself pulled into his side, his sculpted arm tucking around me, exactly how we fell asleep.

“I slept for twelve hours?” I tried to turn around and look at him, to check he wasn’t making fun of me, but he held me firm until I softened into him.

His fingers found mine and weaved them together. “You needed it. Yesterday was a lot.”

I nodded. It had been. So much had happened.

Three months ago, I would have spiraled for days. I wouldn’t have slept. I would have gone over and overand overeverything I’d heard at that table. It would have played on repeat until I’d vomited, then I would have started again.

But this morning? My mind was quiet.

I felt good, great. Amazing. I felt lighter.

It wasn’t the twelve hours of sleep. It wasn’t even Lux. Not really.

It was my conversation with Holiday that had done it. She’d released something inside me; a darkness I’d been carrying for too long. I had a small group of friends, amazing – if a little overbearing and protective – parents, two kind of annoying brothers, a therapist, Millie – yet for the first time, I’d met someone who’d been through what I’d been though.

I no longer felt alone.

“I really like Holiday,” I said, relaxing into him.

Lux hummed. “Me too.”

I don’t know how long we stayed there, our fingers tangled together while I pressed into his chest, memorizing every beat of his heart, every breath he took, but it was long enough for my coffee to go cold. Leaning over him to place it on the nightstand, I noticed a stack of books I hadn’t seen before. It was just like the stack of books sitting next to the bath; all a little bit frayed, like they’d been dropped in the water and dried out or because they were so loved they’d been read over and over.

I grabbed a couple from the pile, my eye immediately drawn to the pristine one on top. When I looked back up at Lux, he offered me nothing but a quick shrug, though not before a light pink flush crested his cheeks.

Holy shit. For the first time ever, Lux Weston was blushing.

“I wanted to give it another go; see whether Elizabeth Bennett is less annoying.”

My fingers traced the groove of black embossed lettering. “And?”

He paused, his eyes darting away from me, and let out a light chuckle. “It’s not looking good.”

I shook my head with a giggle while trying to not to make it obvious that my heart was rattling hard in my chest. Lux had been reading Pride and Prejudice, my favorite book.

He shifted forward and eased out a book from the middle of the pile. “This is my favorite.”

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