Page 134 of Promise Me Sunshine

We come aboveground in our neighborhood uptown. It’s chilly and we’re still a little damp with the Hudson.

“So!” I clap my hands together. “What do we do now?”

“I honestly have no idea.”

I’m utterly baffled by this. “What? You always know what to do.”

“Are you hungry?”

I shake my head. “No. I ate Thai food after I got my haircut.”

I was definitely right about this feeding-myself thing being a part of the Kissing Lenny list because, right there on the sidewalk, he slides his arms around me and kisses me deeply.

Hot tongue and strong arms and I’m breathless when we pull back and people are eyeing us as they walk past.

“You’re very easy to make happy, you know,” I tell him.

“Yes,” he agrees. “I am.”

“Let’s go.” I grab his sleeve and start in the direction of the studio apartment. He breaks the hold just to grab for my hand, lacing our fingers and creating a world of warmth between our palms.

I lift those hands and study them as we walk. We hold hands now. It’s wild to me how someone who makes me feel more safe than anyone else in the world can also make me so unbelievably nervous.

We get to my stoop and he hesitates. I don’t take this for an answer, tugging him inside and up the stairs. He isn’t saying anything, so I don’t say anything either. I kick off my shoes and grab pajamas from the drawers, disappearing into the bathroom.

My short-haired reflection shocks me in the mirror. The hairstylist cut off so much hair, so much weight, that my roots are physically sore. Which feels apt. It should ache when you change this much.

I brush and change into the pajamas and when I reemerge, Miles is sitting on the foot of the bed. He took his shoes off but not his coat.

I don’t like this at all.

I yawn hugely, theatrically, rubbing one hand into my eyes. “I’m so beat.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.” I plop down next to him on the bed. “I just want to curl up in bed and get a solid eight hours, you know?”

He gets a sly, understanding smile. “You’re playing me.”

“Hey, you get flirty when I’m responsible. I can’t be blamed if I use this to my advantage.”

His eyes drop to my thermal pajamas, his smile soft. “You want me to stay and get flirty?”

“Yes.”

He stands and shoulders out of his coat, hanging it over the top of mine. He walks to the dresser and opens the bottom drawer where he’s still got some clothes, digging out some sweatpants and a T-shirt.

“Dang,” I say. “I thought you’d have no choice but to go full monty.”

He laughs and disappears into the bathroom. A few minutes later he comes out looking full boyfriend. His hairline iswet from where he washed his face. I find this so cute I can barely hold in my excited scream.

I’m already under the covers and he joins me, lifting the blanket and sliding in. His body forces mine up against the wall. I’d be shocked if he had more than a centimeter of clearance on his other side.

“Ugh,” he groans happily. “We should have gone to my house. Where the beds are the size of two people.”

“You have a bed at your house?” I’m very skeptical.

He laughs. “What do you think I sleep on?”

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