Page 84 of Close

Connor snorts. “Yeah, add it to the list.”

I make my way outside, my breath forming small clouds in front of me. It’s late enough that the party inside has died down to a dull roar, but the campus is far from silent. Music and laughter echo from the surrounding dorms and frat houses.

But I’m not interested in any of that. There’s only one place I want to be right now.

Lil’s dorm isn’t far, just across the quad. I move quickly, keeping to the shadows. Can’t have any nosy RAs catching me slipping in this late. I want my girl back where she belongs. In my arms.

She has ruined me for anyone else. I don’t want easy, simple, or casual. I want her. I want everything that comes with her for as long as she’ll give it.

Forever.

The lock to her dorm clicks open. Thanks to Connor. I slip inside and close the door softly behind me.

The suite is dark except for a sliver of light peeking from under one of the bedroom doors.

I turn the knob to hers, slowly pushing the door open enough to slither inside. The room is bathed in moonlight, shadows playing across the walls.

And there she is. My Lil. Curled on her side, tangled in her sheets, wearing only a shirt and slip. The shirt barely covers her ass, slipping up to reveal smooth, creamy skin. It takes all my self-control not to touch her right away.

But what stops me is Lil tossing and turning in her sleep. Her face contorts, her body twisting in the sheets as if fighting off some invisible demon. A nightmare, no doubt.

Does she see the same demon as me?

I ache to wake her, to have her in my arms and soothe away whatever terrors plague her dreams. But a darker part wants to let it play out. To see her vulnerable, stripped bare of all her daytime defenses.

Because this is the real Lil. The one she tries so desperately to hide behind forced smiles, nervous laughter, and books. The broken girl beneath the beautiful facade.

She doesn’t have to hide from me. I was with her at her worst. I’d kill for her.

My eyes drink her in, committing every detail to memory. The way her shirt rides up, exposing the gentle curve of her waist. The rapid rise and fall of her chest, like a frightened bird. The almost imperceptible whimpers that escape her parted lips.

Lips I’ve tasted. Lips I crave so much that it scares me sometimes.

I take a step closer, my hand tracing her collarbone. She flinches at my touch, a soft cry slipping out.

Fuck. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be seeing her like this without her permission.

But I can’t look away. Can’t bring myself to leave her alone with her demons.

Because I know those demons. They’ve haunted my own dreams and turned my nights into waking nightmares that leave me shaken and raw.

And maybe that’s why I’m drawn to her. Why I can’t stay away, no matter how many times she tries to deny me.

Like she’s the missing piece I’ve been searching for all my life.

Or maybe I’m a fool. A hopeless, lovesick fool chasing after a girl who’s far too good for me.

Lil tosses and turns again, whimpering softly.

Kneeling beside her, I brush the hair from her face. “Wake up, princess. It’s just a dream.”

But she’s not reacting, still frowning and her breathing becoming quicker.

Gently, I pin her hands above her head. The second I cage her in with my body, she gasps, eyes flying open as she struggles against my hold.

“Shh, it’s me,” I say.

Her gaze is unfocused, darting around the room and then back on me.

---