Page 224 of Falling Backwards
I surprise myself with a chuckle.“I don’t think that sounds braggy.Ihopedyou’d have a great time.I’m happy you did.”
“Aw.Well, I missed you.In fact, I—”
A knock comes at my closed bedroom door.
“Hold on,” I tell him.Then I call towards the door, “Yeah?”
It opens and I wait to see what Joy or Emma wants…but….
I gasp into a smile.“Oh!Luke?”I hurry to sit up and remember with a hiss that I need to move more slowly—torn between my discomfort and being happily surprised to see him, I watch him come into my room and shut the door behind him.“Ow, but hi!”
“Easy!”he reprimands good-naturedly.“Don’t re-hurt yourself.”
I nod compliantly while I toss my phone aside; I see he has already ended our call and put his own phone away.I carefully scoot around to make sure there’s room for him on my bed, and in moments, he’s got his shoes off and he’s settling onto the stretch of blanket next to me.We lean right into each other, one of his hands slipping over my waist, one of mine over his shoulder.The kiss he gives me is eager yet gentle, and it works with everything else about him to further settle the rattled cage of my mind.
I literally slump with relief.
A slight curve of a smile moves against my lips; he isn’t amused, just affectionate.He rubs at my waist.
In a low, knowing tone, he says, “Although I came to see you ’cause I wanted to, something also told me you’d feel better if I did.”
I whisper, “I do.”
“Good.”
Remembering his words from before our phone call ended, I add, “I missed you too.”
He inhales for a slow couple of moments.I lift my hand from his shoulder to bend my fingers against his face, and he nuzzles them without moving his lips too far from mine.
“My mom missed you too,” he says.“Just not as much as I did.”
“Aw, my gosh.”I touch my hand to my heart.
“Yeah, she likes you.”
“I like her too.”
“Do you also like double-fudge brownies?’Cause I brought you one from the steakhouse we went to.”
Sitting back in my own space lets me see him properly.His blue eyes drift over my face, bright like he’s grinning even though he isn’t; I don’t know why, but it has butterflies awakening in my stomach.
“The brownie sounds awesome,” I murmur.“Thank you.”
“Anything for you,” he murmurs back.
The brightness is still in his eyes, but it doesn’t speak of teasing, only of happiness.
I love that.
I inhale it along with normal air, then start lying down.It’s quickly becoming uncomfortable to remain sitting like I have been.“Does‘anything’include snuggling with me in an awkward way so my knee doesn’t get hit?”
“It does include that.”He flops down, waits for me to get situated, and then fixes himself closer to me.I get an arm around him.As soon as we’re still, we both sigh and relax.
Well, I relax physically.My emotional state has improved, but my harried thoughts haven’t actually gone anywhere.
I don’t want to dwell on them, though.Don’t want to sink back into them.
Luke’s hum of contentment is just startling enough that my eyes flutter open because, apparently, they’d closed at some point.
