Page 268 of Time Stops With You

But no Cullen.

My heart speeds into overdrive and I scramble back to the bedroom for my phone. My hands shake as I dial his number.

It rings and rings.

Voicemail.

Desperately, I call again. At that moment, the door beeps and clicks open. I hurry outside, my eyes wide and my heart thumping at a million beats per second.

Cullen enters the hotel suite. He’s wearing a black beanie, a black jacket and jeans. He’s holding a bouquet of flowers and is grinning at it proudly.

“Cullen,” I whisper, my heart stopping.

He freezes when he sees me. The smile that had been growing on his face falls flat in an instant.

“Nardi, what’s wrong?”

A sob wrangles out of me and I fling myself at him, hugging him for dear life. “I thought you were gone,” I cry, wrapping around him even tighter. “Why did you leave me?”

“I’m here, Nardi. I’m here.” He rubs my back. “I’m sorry. You were sleeping soundly. I didn’t want to wake you until I made breakfast.”

The crinkling sound of the wrapping paper tells me I’m squashing the flowers, but I don’t care. All the horror and grief I’d felt when I’d lost him sweeps over me again. It’s like I’mthere. In that moment. Thinking I would never see him again.

Cullen holds me without complaint, soothing me with his words and with his gentle touch. When I’ve composed myself, I lean away.

“You should have told me you were leaving,” I whisper hoarsely.

“I know. I’m sorry.” Cullen wipes away my tears.

The guilt stamped across his finely-chiseled face makes me remorseful. I shouldn’t have overreacted.

“It’s alright. I’m okay now.” I offer him a weak smile.

He doesn’t buy it. “I’m sorry,” he says again. “Next time, I’ll be sure to leave a note. I’ll use the little yellow sticky pads you like so much.”

I nod, breathing evenly again.

Cullen lifts the flowers toward me and I’m surprised that they still look fresh and beautiful after being squashed by us.

“Why did you buy flowers?”

“Because I’m in the dog house,” Cullen murmurs, still looking bothered. Little tufts of fog spread through the nasal tubes as he breathes out.

Hoping to make him smile, I run my hand down his chest and whisper. “Last night went a long way toward getting out.”

His distracted eyes find mine and a glimmer of a smile flashes across his face.

But it’s gone too soon.

So I press my chest against his. “You really are a great student.”

He coughs.

I rise to my tiptoes and breathe into his ear. “You know my body so well now.”

He smirks, his ears turning pink.

Seeing that I’m making a difference in uplifting his mood, I move easily into his arms. The hug melts what’s left of his unease and Cullen finally relaxes. I can sense it in his shoulders and his back muscles.

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