Page 141 of Rough Around the Hedges

The unsaid words clung to us with the same fervour we held each other. They cloyed at my throat, and I kissed him harder to keep them from coming up.

I couldn’t tell him.

I couldn’t tell him that I was in love with him.

I was too scared to.

Even as he held me tightly, fucked me with a gentleness that was foreign to me, kissed and nipped at my neck… I just couldn’t do it.

I bit the inside of my cheek as he rocked inside me, drawing my orgasm to the surface. I was powerless to fight anything, and I clamped down around him, holding him firmly inside me as I let go. My entire body tensed and trembled, and Oliver’s gutturalgroan against my neck preceded the warmth I felt spill inside me.

Ah.

Ah, what do I do?

Tears stung the corners of my eyes, and I held him against me. I couldn’t let him see me like this. I’d never felt as loved or special as I did just now, and I hated myself for it.

Hated it because I knew I had to let him go.

Because this… we…

“Stop,” he whispered, kissing the curve of my ear. “Whatever you’re thinking about, stop thinking about it, princess.”

“I—”

“Stop.” He pressed his lips to mine, swallowing any argument I had. “Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow. For now, let’s clean up, then you can come and fall asleep on me. Yeah?”

“Can we eat first?” I asked quietly. “I haven’t had dinner.”

“Yeah. There’s food downstairs. I’ll make you something.” He kissed the corner of my mouth. “Pasta good?”

I nodded into his shoulder, lowering my legs from around his waist so he could get up.

We would clean up.

Eat.

Climb into bed.

Fall asleep together.

For what would be the last time.

It had to be.

30

OLIVER

Final Preparations

She was like an angel when she slept.

Her fiery red hair fanned across the white pillows, and I’d pulled the unruly wavy strands out of my mouth more than once this morning. I would be finding strands of her hair everywhere now for days—long, crinkly red ones would appear seemingly out of nowhere, as if Rose herself was planting them as a never-ending reminder of her presence in my life.

As if I’d ever not notice her.

Her fair eyelashes twitched against her cheeks, and the freckles that dotted her cheeks and nose were like tiny puzzles I couldn’t help but trace with my eyes.

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