Page 118 of Play Fake
I raise my arms, and he slides the jersey off carefully, folding it and setting it on the chair. It’s not sexual—it’s soft, domestic in a way that makes my throat ache.
“Go take a shower,” he says quietly. “Get warm. Get comfortable. I’ll wait until you’re settled before I head out.”
Something in me melts completely. “You don’t have to?—”
“I know,” he says simply. “I want to.”
Steam curls out of the bathroom when I open the door, my skin warm and clean, my hair pulled back in a loose braid. I’m in my softest sleep shorts and an oversized T-shirt, one I’ve had since freshman year, and the sight that greets me makes my heart squeeze a little.
Beck’s kicked off his shoes and hoodie, sitting on the edge of my bed like he belongs there. His socks don’t match—of course—and he’s scrolling aimlessly on his phone, waiting. The overhead light is off, leaving only the small lamp on my desk glowing soft and golden.
“Feel better?” he asks, looking up.
“Yeah,” I say, meaning it. “A lot better.”
I climb into bed beside him, pulling the covers up, and for a moment we just sit there, the hum of the heater filling the quiet. My body’s heavy in the best way—tired, safe, and content.
“You don’t have to stay,” I say softly. “It’s late. I know you probably want to head back.”
He glances at me, one eyebrow lifting in that way that always makes him look a little smug, a little sweet. “Yeah, but then you’d miss out on my world-class cuddling skills. Dangerous stuff, Prescott. Highly addictive.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Is that so?”
“Oh yeah,” he says, settling back against the headboard. “I should probably warn you before you make the mistake of letting me stay. Once it happens, there’s no going back.”
I pretend to think about it, tapping my chin. “Hmm. Sounds risky.”
“Extremely,” he deadpans. “You’ll get attached. You’ll start requesting designated cuddle nights. It’s a whole thing.”
I roll my eyes but can’t stop smiling. “Fine. Stay. But if I wake up smothered, I’m blaming you.”
He grins, pulling the covers back and sliding in beside me. The mattress dips under his weight, and when he wraps an arm around my waist to tug me against his chest, it feels…inevitable. Like this is exactly how the night was always supposed to end.
“I think there’s something we should probably talk about,” he says, his voice sounding slightly nervous, but still calm. “I know I mentioned it before, back when we were just faking and all that, but I want to make it clear, just in case it’s something that you’re not okay with.”
I look up at him, slightly confused as to what this is about. “Okay?”
“It’s about…the physical”—he winces slightly, seeming to already be regretting his word choice there—“side of, well, whatever this is. Whatever you want it to be.”
He clears his throat, voice sounding more confident when he continues. “I don’t plan on having sex with anyone until I know they’re my person. I know it’s not necessarily considered the norm, and no, I’m not some born again virgin or anything like that. I just…I don’t want to give that piece of myself to someone else until I’m sure. Until I’m ready.”
His face is slightly flushed by the time he finishes, his eyes finally coming back to meet mine after another moment passes, his brows furrowing instantly when he sees the smile on my face.
“What?” he asks.
“It’s not a deal breaker for me, Beck. At all. I like…whatever it is we are doing. I trust you, and I hope you trust me, but that’s not something I would expect or that would be an issue for me.”
“I didn’t necessarily think it would be, but I wanted to make sure. Just in case.” He shrugs. “Ya know. Sometimes things can get a little heated in certain moments, and I never wanted to risk hurting your feelings by you thinking I was denyingyouspecifically. Trust me, there is absolutely nothing about you that I’d want to say no to, but I think it’s the best decision for me, at least for now.”
“I get it,” I say, moving closer and wiggling my body just enough for him to stiffen. “There are always plenty of otherfunthings to do outside of actually having sex.”
He curses under his breath as he buries his face into my neck. “You aren’t going to make this easy, are you?”
I can’t help but laugh.
Half an hour later, his heartbeat is thrumming against my back, his breath warm at the nape of my neck. I let my eyes flutter shut, but neither of us seems quite ready to sleep yet.
“You okay?” he whispers after a moment.
