Page 35 of Close

Now she’s MIA, and it’s driving me fucking crazy.

I know she’s not like all the other girls I’ve hooked up with. There’s something different about her—something broken and beautiful all at once. Something I can’t fix with a few orgasms andpretty words. A fragility that makes me want to shield her from the world’s cruelty.

But damn it, I want to try. I want to be the one she turns to when the darkness comes. I want to be her safe place, her escape. I want to make her forget everything.

Did I push too far, too fast? I thought she wanted it—no, needed it—as much as I did. Was I wrong? I couldn’t resist. How she looked up at me, her lips slightly parted and her eyes begging.

And this fucking headache is killing me.

She’s not even at her normal spot in the library. And when I do catch a glimpse of her, she’s with Jason. Always Jason.

Mister fucking perfect, always by her side.

And every time, I want to march over and kiss her senseless. Remind her who made her cum so hard she nearly passed out. Stake my claim so Jason and everyone else knows she’s mine.

But that won’t win me any favors with her. If anything, it’ll only push her further away.

The possibility knots my stomach. I’m not used to being rejected or ignored. Especially not by someone like Lil. Someone I actually… care about. As much as it pains me to admit it.

With most girls, I wouldn’t give a damn if they ghosted me after something like this. But Lil… she slithered under my skin, and I can’t shake her. I crave more—more of her smiles, her touch, the sounds she makes when she unravels.

I need to be smart. Strategic. Find a way to make her seek me out again. Crave my touch the way I crave hers.

I only have to figure out how. Because I’ll be damned if I let her slip away. She may have wounded my ego by going silent, but I don’t give up. Not on my princess.

Not when I can still taste her on my lips.

My fingers hover over the screen, contemplating whether to send another message or not. You’re making this so hard for me, princess.

“So, what’s up with you?” Brandon claps me on the shoulder as he plops down on the couch next to me. “Hiding away like that.”

“Wasn’t hiding.” My fingers tap against my phone, willing it to vibrate with a message from Lil.

“We brought company. How about you enjoy yourself?” Brandon asks.

“No, thanks.”

All I can think about is Lil’s silence, her absence, and the way her eyes locked onto mine as I made her shatter that night. One second, she wants me, and the next, it’s like we’re complete strangers. Even after what I did for her.

“Bran, I’m hungry,” Connor calls out from the kitchen.

“Geez, like a little kid.” Brandon huffs and walks into the kitchen.

“Bash.” Blake flashes me a grin as she sits where Brandon just was. “What’s got you looking so depressed?”

“Nothing.” My focus remains anchored to the screen of my phone, hoping for a sign, a single word.

“Bash.” Blake sidles closer, her red hair brushing against my arm. “How about I distract you a little?”

“No, thanks.”

“Come on.” She sits on my lap with practiced ease. “Let’s take a photo together. You know, for old times’ sake.”

“Will you get lost if I do?”

“Yes.”

The muscles in my face strain as I try not to look like I want to throw her off my lap. Her perfume overwhelms me, and a headache starts to build.

---