Page 148 of Falling Backwards
And I don’t know if she hoped for it or not, but herentire bodyreacts to it.
And I think I’m the only one who notices—I’m the only one who can hear her trembling sigh and feel the fleeting press of her fingertips into my back and pick up on how she goes just weak enough in the knees that I have to hug her a little more tightly.
And I instantly want more; I want to feel her do all of it with my lips on more places than here, with my fingertips mapping out her body, with her hands outright gripping me somewhere,anywhere, keeping me against her so I won’t stop,can’tstop.
And I have no, no, no time to focus on any of this right here and now.
So I follow the kiss up with a rushed redirection: “Did I hear you say a minute ago that you wanna take a soup bath?”
Don’t even think about thinking about her in a bath.Not even a soup one.
She’s laughing easily, but it’s a breathless sound.“Yeah, I…I was really cold.”She pauses.“Not anymore.Now I just wannaeatsoup because it sounds good.”
“I’m glad to have helped.”
Understatement.
I clear my throat.“Do you know what kinds of soup they have here?”
“Not really.I think someone mentioned a Tuscan something a few minutes ago.”
I get the group’s attention and ask about that.Joy eagerly pulls out her phone to bring up the menu on the website.
Bless her, because I wasn’t going to let this hug end, even for a minute, so that Maggie or I could do it.
—
The place turns out to be as awesome as Paxton promised.My salad and pesto pasta are fantastic, and so are Maggie’s chicken gnocchi soup and pasta carbonara—we’ve traded bites more than once because we both can’t get enough.And our group has had a good time talking and laughing.Joy and Bradley are getting along as great as was hoped for.Paxton and Emma have a good vibe, so even though they’re not an official thing, they’re also not awkward.Maggie and I have been sitting close together, have been holding hands for most of the dinner; even being a pretend-type gesture, I swear it’s one we both actually mean.
Still, I amexhaustedby the time we’re all ready to leave.Like, straight-up.
Maggie is the only other one in our group who doesn’t seem to have gained the energy food is supposed to give.She’s been yawning for the last…hell, I don’t even know what length of time.It has mademeyawn repeatedly, but our friends are still looking forward to moving the get-together to Paxton’s.And I’m still expected to go find the card game and bring it over so we can all play.
At least Maggie and I decided she’ll go with me.That makes the stop-off sound better.
I try to wake up while we pay and head outside, but even the cold night doesn’t help.It just furthers how badly I want to find a blanket and close my eyes.
“Okay, we’re all meeting at my place, right?”Paxton asks.“Luke and Maggie are gonna grab the game on their way over?”
Everyone agrees, including her, though her agreement is just a nod paired with yet another yawn.
It ends as my next one begins, and she tells the group, “Everybody drive safely.”Then she waves lazily at Emma and Joy.“I’ll see you in a little bit, sisters.”
The girls all smooch at each other, and I exchange nods with the guys.Then we split up.
In the car, I hand Maggie my phone, which feels heavy to my tired body.“Wanna pick a song?”
“Mmm.Sure.”
While she messes with that, I mess with the heater and get us going.
“Aw.”She sounds happy even through her tiredness.“You saved ‘Rome.’Do you like it?”
It’s one of the songs she told me about on the phone the other night.I’d never heard of that singer before—Dermot whoever—but what a place to start.
I reply, “Sure did save it.It’s good.”
“Yeah, it is.What beautiful lyrics.”
