Page 150 of Broken Pieces
I cross the room in nothing but my underwear. Each stride is more weighty than usual.
I grab the first scrap of paper I can find. A crumpled receipt from the corner of the nightstand, bent and smeared with old ink.
I smooth it against the wall, pressing my palm flat to hold it still. My fingers tremble. I bite the inside of my cheek until I taste blood.
Then, I write.
The pen scratches across the paper, rough and fast, as if I don’t get it out now, I never will. My hand shakes. Not because I’m unsure. I know exactly what this is.
I’m not scared of you.
I’m afraid of what I feel.
I’m shaking because it’s the truth.
Every second with him chips away at the girl I used to be.
The one who flinched at kindness.
Who kept her guard up even in sleep.
The one who let no one close enough to matter. Now I let him touch me, hold me. Breathe against my skin.
And what’s left of me now freaks the hell out of me.
I fold the note, cross the room and tuck it into the back pocket of his jeans. He always leaves them hanging off the edge of the chair.
I slip back into bed, the mattress dipping under my weight, and curl in close. Chest to his side, head near his shoulder. His skin is now warm and familiar.
He shifts, breath catching, arm sliding around my waist without waking. His breath brushes the side of my face. It’s soft. Barely there.
I close my eyes and try to let that be enough.
But it still isn’t enough.
My mouth wants to say it. My heart already has.
I love you.
It resides there, quiet, behind my lips. The truth that could either save me or destroy everything.
He stirs a moment later, muscles shifting beneath my cheek.
I freeze.
The words sit heavy on my tongue, still burning from how close they came to leaving my mouth.
Three fucking words that could change everything.
I swallow them back because he’s not ready for that kind of weight in the dark. Not yet. Perhaps never.
His voice breaks the silence, rough, thick with sleep. “You’re awake.”
I nod against his chest. “Couldn’t sleep.”
He hums in response, a deep sound that vibrates under my cheek. His lips brush the top of my head, his mouth lingering there for a beat longer than necessary. The kiss that says you’re mine with no need for words.
“C’mon,” he says, voice husky.
