Page 19 of Stuck

I don’t know what that is. I never have, not really. My brain will trick me into making all sorts of bad decisions. “My brother’s an asshole.”

Hazel’s expression doesn’t change.

I don’t know why I’m telling her this now. My phone vibrates again. “I need to—”

“Sure. Go.”

I glance down at the screen.

Message deleted by the sender

I waited too long, and whatever it was, Grace doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.

“I don’t know what she wants.” I scrub my hand over my face.

“Come back to bed,” Hazel whispers. “Come here.”

I want to. I want to so fucking much it hurts. But it’s three days before Christmas, and if I don’t deal with this right now, it’s going to wreck the entire holidays. I shake my head. “I can’t. You should get some sleep. I have to go.”

“Sam—” She cuts herself off. Then she smiles. “Thanks for tonight.”

I crawl on top of her. I don’t know what to say right now, but I know what to do. I kiss the ever loving hell out of her. I pin her down until I make her gasp against my mouth, and then I swallow that sound so it’s mine.

Hazel’s little sounds are all mine now. “I’ll be back,” I whisper.

She curls up in my blankets, naked and perfectly bare as I pull on clothes I don’t want to wear. I flip off the lights, hoping I’ll return before dawn lights up the sky.

I don’t make it.

And when I return, not only is my room lit with cool grey morning light, it’s also empty.

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