Page 79 of Wish You Were Mine
Not really.
22
OWEN
Lucyand I ended up on the couch in my living room, a comedy mockumentary playing in the background as she balanced the ice pack on her shin.
I’d let her choose what we watched, hoping it would help calm her nerves after her scare. But even though she’d said the show was one of her favorites, I wasn’t actually paying attention. Not to the TV, anyway.
We sat close—but not too close—Lucy’s legs curled up on the cushion, the faint sound of her breathing helping my pulse settle after everything that had just happened.
“I can drive you home after this, if you want,” I said, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. “No pressure. Just…whenever you’re ready.”
She nodded, eyes still on the screen, but she didn’t say anything. And not five minutes later, her head dipped back into the cushion.
By the ten-minute mark, she was out—completely asleep.
I turned the volume down and angled toward her, taking her in for a second. Her lips were parted slightly. One handtucked under her cheek, the other still loosely holding the ice pack against her shin like she hadn’t quite wanted to give up on being responsible—even in sleep.
She must be completely worn out.
Between the travel, school, practice, and whatever emotional toll tonight had taken…no wonder she crashed.
Carefully, I slipped the ice pack out of her grip, then grabbed the throw blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over her. She didn’t stir. Just shifted a little, nestling deeper into the cushions with a soft exhale.
I sat there for another moment, watching her.
Gosh, she was beautiful.
Not just in the obvious, knockout kind of way. Though, yeah, her features were ridiculous. The kind that made your brain short-circuit the first time you laid eyes on her.
But it was more than that. It was how she cared so deeply. How she pushed herself even when she was running on empty. How she’d come here tonight, scared but brave enough to knock on my door anyway.
I reached out, brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. My fingers barely touched her skin, but I felt it like a jolt.
Yeah. I was completely screwed.
I hadn’t even kissed her since New Year’s. But somehow, this felt more intimate than that ever did.
Which was unsettling.
I should’ve stopped this weeks ago.
Should’ve drawn a clear, hard line and never let myself cross it.
But it was impossible when she made me feel like I was someone she could trust.
Someone she…wanted.
I swallowed hard, my hand falling back to my lap as I leaned into the cushions beside her with a sigh.
I was a goner before I even had a chance.
And I knew better.
Knew how this story went.
Still…I let myself look at her one last time, let the quiet settle over me. Then, forcing myself to move, I stood, stretching the stiffness from my back and reminding myself I had an early alarm.
