Page 68 of Leave Before I Love You
“You’d better,” she mutters. “And don’t you dare joke about this. I’m serious.”
We exchange a few more words, her tone gradually softening as the panic subsides. When we finally hang up, I shoot her a quick text.
Me: Just want to keep you updated on my every move. I just got off the phone with my crazy best friend. Our conversation lasted exactly 5 minutes and 43 seconds.
Her response is immediate.
June: I know you’re being a sarcastic biotch right now, but I don’t care. Keep doing this.
I set the phone down, feeling Henry’s gaze on me. When I turn back to him, he’s smirking, his head resting on his hand. The sheet is slung low on his hips, and I try not to let my eyes wander. Much.
“So…you’re at a massage?” he asks, his brow furrowed as we lock eyes.
“What was I supposed to say?” I counter, crossing my arms. “‘Oh sorry, June, I’m actually at Henry’s apartment. Naked.’”
He chuckles, but his expression softens. “Why didn’t you just tell her you were here?”
I bite my lip, looking away. The truth is, I don’t know. Or maybe I do, but I’m not ready to say it out loud.
“Oh, I don’t know, Henry,” I eventually answer, a little sharper than I intend. “Maybe because no one knows about what happenedbetween us on the island. Beau certainly doesn’t know that we hooked up.”
Henry’s expression shifts, his smirk fading. “Hooked up?” he repeats. “C’mon, Avery. I think you and I were a little more than a hookup. Don’t you?”
Relief floods through me at the unexpected lash of hurt. If Henry doesn’t want me saying things are casual, maybe it’s notcasual. My heart races with hope I wish I could control. I don’t want to be at the will of emotion—it’s vulnerable and not at all on-brand for Avery freaking Banks.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t make my very real feelings any less true.
“Then what do you think we are, Henry?” I ask softly, searching his eyes for any signs of bullshit so I can backtrack quickly if I need to.
He doesn’t hesitate to respond, his eyes open and unguarded. “Well, we’re not ahookup. And I definitely think we shouldn’t be seeing other people. And we should be seeing each other a lot. Maybe constantly. Especially naked, but not naked as well. It’s a pretty even percentage, though, so if pushed, I’d probably give a few extra points to the naked side.”
My heart skips a beat, and a smile curves one corner of my mouth. He’s so freaking cute, I can hardly stand it. “So, we’re together?”
“Yeah,” he says simply, no reluctance at all. “We’re together.”
I’m quiet for a moment, mulling it over. I usually tell June everything, and her, me. Though, when she first got together with my brother, I definitely wasn’t at the top of the list for shared information. I’ve earned a little bit of privacy on this—especially given how quickly I got over my anger when I found out about them.
Truly demure of me.
Henry’s track record with relationships is even worse than mine, but holding him to that standard would be just as bad asholding me to mine, and given how much I forgot my last boyfriend existed, I don’t think I’d like that.
I have to give this a chance, and yet…it’d be the worst kind of experience to go all in with Henry and then for him to decide he doesn’t want to be with me.
Where would that leave me?He’s Beau’s best friend.
And if we tell everyone we’re together, what if it didn’t work out?
I need a compromise. At least for now. “Okay, we’re together, but I think…just for a little while…we should keep it between us.”
Henry raises an eyebrow. “So, we’re together, but in secret?”
I shrug, wanting it to sound a little less clandestine. “Not secret. But…just a little more of our island bubble, but off the island, you know? I want the chance to get to know you, on my own, without you sticking your dick in other women and without my family and our friends making it the biggest deal, like you and I both know they will. Neither of us has committed before. They’re going to have a whole freaking circus act to say about it.”
Henry’s laugh fills the otherwise quiet room. “You have nothing to worry about, Avery.” He pulls me into his arms, his lips brushing against mine. “I understand your hesitancy, and I’m willing to play along. But just so you know, I’m all yours, bubble or not.”
He kisses me again, slow and deep, and I melt against him.
I’m all yours, bubble or not. Oh boy.I probably like the sound of that way too much.
