Page 39 of Winter Glam in Amsterdam

“You’re really good at this optimism thing when you want to be.” The corners of his mouth lift, but his smile still seems forced.

“Well, it’s a talent.”

I hide another yawn behind my hand and close my eyes again, my breath evening out as I try to catch some more sleep.

When his phone buzzes with an incoming message, I don’t bother opening them. I’m pretty sure that he’s going to tell me if it’s something important.

“Are you okay with someone else staying with you?” Luca asks, voice a whisper, probably not expecting me to still be awake.

“Depends,” I mumble back, sleep tugging at my consciousness. But I know exactly that if Mom and Dad are taking over the ‘keeping an eye on Summer’ shift, they’re going to be fussing. And although I know they mean well, I’d much rather catch more sleep than have Mom in here, keeping me awake with worried questions and remedies she’s read about on the internet.

“Take your pick.” Luca sounds amused. “All of them are offering.”

“Tanner?” I whisper his name before I even realize, but when I do, my whole body tenses.

“Sure,” Luca says with a shrug, taking his hand out of my hair to answer a message.

There are no questions, no confusion about me asking for Tanner. Maybe, considering he swooped in like my knight in shining armor yesterday, that eliminates any questions about me asking for him.

“He’ll be right over.” Luca softly strokes my hair again, and I’m almost asleep when I hear him get up and sneak his way over to Millie and wake her up with a whisper.

They exchange hushed words in a whisper so soft I can’t make out any of their words. They only stop once there’s a gentle knock on the door.

My consciousness is holding on by a thread as I hear them in another hushed conversation before the room door falls closed.

I hear the familiar click of the lock. But there’s no fear.

It’s Tanner. Tanner is safe.

Without a word, I hear him take off his shoes and before I can even offer, he’s climbing into bed with me.

His movements are careful, slow, in order to not wake me up. But once he’s stretched out on the bed next to me, I mobilize all my willpower to force myself awake and scoot closer to him.

Immediately, he opens arms and envelops me in a careful hug.

And it’s only now that emotions sweep over me like a storm, and I bury my face in his shirt.

“You scared us there, Darling,” he mumbles, and I find it harder to swallow past the lump of emotions in my throat.

“Sorry,” I whisper, trying to blink away the tears threatening to overspill. He tightens his hold on me and presses his lips against the top of my head.

“Not your fault,” he whispers back and, for some reason, that’s what makes my emotions overflow. Sobs wreck my whole bodyand I fight for each breath, my fingers digging into his shirt, holding onto him like he’s a lifeline.

“I was so fucking scared,” I press out between sobs, and he holds me even tighter.

“I know,” he mumbles, his hand tracing soft circles on the small of my back. “I got you, Darling. Let it out.”

“Thank you,” I mumble once I’ve caught my breath, sleep threatening to pull me under.

He presses his lips against the top of my head in answer and before I know it, his steady breaths have lulled me to sleep.

"Are you sure you want to go out?" Dad asks me way later, worry etched into his face as I pull on my jacket.

Tanner stayed with me until noon, waking me up to let me know that my parents insisted on taking over.

I love my parents. I really do. And I appreciate their worry. But it's like everyone's walking on eggshells because of me, like they’re touching me with kids’ gloves, and it’s driving me crazy.

"I'm okay," I tell my dad. "I’m going mad in my room. I'm just taking a short walk, get some fresh air."

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