Page 13 of Forbidden Dunk

“Chill?” I watched as he tilted his head, a smile slowly lifting those gorgeous lips. “I’m down with that. In here?”

“Yup.” I tossed him a wink as I shifted the pillows on the bed, then grabbed the controller. “I have a big enough TV here.”

“Damn, you could live up here if you wanted to.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that because it was true. Good thing I liked talking with my dad and leaving the house, or I would never set foot outside of my room.

*****

“What?” Shawn grumbled as I gently pushed him again. I didn’t want to leave the bed because falling asleep in his arms and feeling his protective hands on my innocent belly was one of the best feelings.

However, this was the last morning we had in who knows how long and I wanted to share something I loved with him. The last thirty-six hours passed way too fast, and I wanted to spend every minute I could with him before my father got home and I was forced back into reality.

“Wake up?”

“The sun isn’t even up yet, Shorty. Why would you make me get up?”

“Because I want to share a view with you that is breathtaking. I don’t get to see it every day and I’m not sure when the next time we’ll be able to share it.”

That had him peeking an eye open and looking at me. I wasn’t above being sneaky to get the things I wanted. Nor was I above blackmailing, even with simple phrases and comments.

I gave him a cheesy grin and then jumped off the bed, pulling his leg to get him moving.

“Fine, fine, I’m up,” he muttered, yawning as he finally sat up. “Where are we going?”

“Hush,” I told him, grabbing his hoodie and tossing it at him before slipping my own on.

I took his hand, once he was ready, and then led him outside and carefully took him to my roof, sitting down in the well-worn area. No one knows how often I would come up here to watch the sunrise. It was the peaceful promise I got as much as I could that it would be a good day.

“Aren’t you worried that you could fall, or something?”

“Nope. I’ve never even slipped. As you can see, I come up here a lot. Now just enjoy this.”

And with that, he did. In silence, we watched as the black faded to the pale blue and then into a burst of color. My breath hitched as I saw the orange and the purple, making me long for a way to capture this each morning.

“Is it not jaw dropping?”

“It is, Shorty.”

I glanced at him, about ready to reprimand him for staring at me and giving me some cheesy line, but instead, he was watching the same magical sunrise that I was. And in all my life, I don’t think I ever felt as close with a human as I did know.

He understood my simplicity, my love of nature, and for so many others, they just didn’t grasp it. Not getting how something like this view could ground me, could make me long for peace and solitude and moments where I could only see this.

But Shawn got it. He got me.

And I would fight for that.

“How long do you stay up here?”

“Depends. Usually not passed the full rise. I just enjoy it for a few moments, the start of the day, the call of the animals, then I head back to my room.”

He took my hand, interlacing our fingers and I looked down at it.

There wasn’t a huge size difference there, and again, it was an awesome feeling to have a basketball player who fit right with me.

“Want to go back to the room and snuggle? Or shall I make breakfast?”

“Oh, he can cook too? I hit the motherload huh?”

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