Page 31 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

‘You got a tattoo?’ There it is. The letter B followed by a purple heart, Queen of Hearts style on his chest, above his heart. B♥. My heart beats through my chest like it’s just seen a ghost.

Last summer, he pierced his ears. He now wears two black small-gage earrings. At first, I hated them because they represent his party-boy phase, but they’ve since grown on me. This summer, he got a tattoo.

‘It matches yours,’ he says.

‘Whendid you get this?’

‘A couple days ago.’

Damn it. That’s actually sweet as hell. I run my fingers around it. It’s not very big, maybe an inch tall and wide at most. He even did the purple heart. My favorite color.

‘Damn you, Adler.’

‘You’re mad?’ he asks, worry in his voice.

I am the opposite of mad and that’s what’s pissing me off. Ilovethis moron. And I can’t tell him because we’re both such a mess it’ll only make things worse if I do.

‘Why would I be mad?’

‘Because I tattooed your initial while we’re broken up.’

I sigh. ‘I’m not mad, Will,’ I say. ‘It makes me…’

This is your heart, Berkley. I know I talk a big game, and then somehow melt for this dude every chance I have, but I’m serious when I say: donottell Will that you love him right now. This guy needs some work. Of the professional kind. You alone can’t save him. You just can’t. When he’s sober, use up your third life and be done with this so he can possibly live through the next year.

‘It makes you what?’ he asks.

‘Sometimes I can’t believe you still have a heart in here.’ I touch his chest.

He flashes me a sad smile. ‘Can I see your tattoo?’

‘Sure.’

I roll over, now facing away from him, literally snuggling my back to his front. He slides his arms around me and pulls me against him, kissing the tattoo I got in college, W♥. I blink back tears as he holds his lips to my shoulder, sending electricity through my soul. I love lying like this with him. I crave it so much it physically pains my heart now that it’s happening.

‘I miss you so much it hurts, Berx. I don’t wanna be here anymore. I’m not happy.’ He buries his face into my neck and hair as he starts to cry.

I sigh, hugging his arm around me to my chest, kissing his fingers now resting on my left collarbone.

Do not cry, Berkley. This room can handle exactly one sobbing fool, and he’s already arrived.

Drunk Will gets goofy, pissed, depressed, fighty, emotional, handsy, then passes out. A pattern that never changes. We’re moving through the drunk Will phases quickly tonight, so it’s only a matter of time before he tries to make out with me and then literally passes out mid-kiss.

‘Will, if you’re unhappy here, move in with me. I hate watching you do this to yourself.’

He starts to snore, and I know I’ve lost him. My heart sinks in my chest a little. He’s just blown by the flirty portion of the evening. Maybe me saving him all the time is only making things worse? MaybeI’mthe one holding on here? Shit. I hold his arm across my chest tightly, pulling his hand to my face and crying into it while he’s passed out.

12

WILL

I wake up to the sun shining through my windows. Wait, how the—did I even get here? The last thing I remember, I was on the balcony, wallowing in self-pity that theonewoman I want doesn’t want me back. I embarrassed her on television, then I had to watch her, while we screened the show, literally save me from a night I don’t even remember. She even went to court with me. I am adick.

I squint, one eye opened, reaching up and massaging my pounding head. A blurry mess of brown hair lies on the pillow next to me. Wait a second? Brown hair, who thehellis this?

‘Ugh,’ I groan. Damn it. Did I do something stupid in a drunken stupor?

‘Hello?’ I poke her back with my forefinger. ‘Miss? You gotta go,’ I say to her, shadowing my face from the sun. ‘I fucked up.’ I poke her again. ‘I was drinking so I wouldn’t call a woman and shit clearly got away from me.’ I jab my finger into her shoulder blade.

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