Page 286 of Rock Me All Night
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We spend halfof the day in the pool, naked. The rest we spend in the living room, curled up on the couch or making food in the kitchen.
I have to devote Sunday to studying. Drew promises to give me the day for my schoolwork, and he sticks to it. He's still not home when it's time for bed. I get ready and curl up with my current reading-for-fun novel.
My eyes drift closed. Just a few minutes...
I wake up to the feeling of weight shifting on the mattress. I turn to see Drew, sitting next to me in his boxers, hands curled around a glass of water.
"Hey." He takes a long sip then hands the glass to me. "You finish?"
I nod, down half the glass, and set it on the bedside table.
"I'll give you room to study for the next two weeks." He shifts closer. "But I'm here if you need a break."
"A break?"
He smirks and lies next to me. His arm curls around my waist. He lifts himself up, so he's looking down at me.
His fingertips go to my wrist and he traces the faint scars. "These really weigh on you, huh?"
"Yeah."
His voice is low. "I know I freaked when you first told me. I wanted to protect you—"
"But there was no one to punch in the face?"
"Kendrick, don't be rude to people who are trying to open up to you." He moves closer. "I don't ever want you to hurt like that again. Not alone."
"You can't stop me from experiencing pain."
"But this—it's so much to hide. How do you manage that?"
"I'm used to it."
"You sure you're okay living like that?"
"Not forever." I shift onto my elbow. "But I'm not ready to face the kind of scrutiny I'll get when people see."
He nods like he understands. "If there's any way I can help—"
"Let me handle it. Please."
Drew turns off the lights and slides next to me. He turns me around so we're face to face. "Let's play a game. Truth or truth."
It's dark, but I can just make out his eyes.
"One question each," he says. "You can start."
I nod. I'm awake enough for one question. There's one burning a hole in my brain.
"You never want me to hurt again," I say.
"Yeah. But that's not a question."
I meet his gaze. "You're human. There must be times you hurt. Not someone you loved hurt, but you hurt."
"I hurt when the people I love hurt." He squeezes my hand. "I hurt when you hurt."
