Page 117 of Finding Olivia (Trace + Olivia 1)

The door cracked open and Trace tiptoed inside.

“I’m not asleep,” I grinned.

“Oh,” he chuckled, running his fingers through his damp hair.

I sat up and studied him in the dim light of the bedroom. “Are you wearing glasses?”

“Oh, um, yeah,” he stuttered. “I can’t sleep in my contacts.”

“I didn’t know you wore glasses,” I tilted my head and smiled at him. “I like them.”

“They’re so dorky,” he groaned, sliding in beside me.

“I don’t think so,” I laid back and turned on my side to face him in the bed. The glasses were thick black-framed retro looking ones.

“You’re just saying that.”

“I’m not lying, you look good in them. You should wear them more often,” I cupped my hands under my head.

“I didn’t know you had a fetish for glasses,” he snickered.

“You’re impossible,” I rolled over to my other side and faced away from him.

He turned out the light on his side of the bed. The sheets rustled as he wiggled around and settled beside me.

“Are you mad at me?” He asked. “Or can I hold you?”

“You can hold me,” I whispered. The bed dipped down behind me, as he scooted closer until my back was spooned to his front, and his arm was thrown across my body.

“Good. I wanted to make sure before you bit my arm off or something,” he chuckled.

“We have all night,” I warned.

“I love it when your spitfire side comes out,” he whispered.

I snorted, and closed my eyes, resolving not to reply so that I could get some sleep.

I was close to drifting asleep when Trace whispered, “Olivia?”

“Yeah,” I replied softly.

He paused. “Why did you tell me about your list?”

I had often asked myself the same thing. Why so soon? Why Trace? What made him different?

“I-I don’t know. You…made me feel…safe,” I stuttered. “A part of me didn’t want to tell you…” I paused. “I was afraid of what you would think of me. But something made me take that leap. I guess…” I searched for the right words to explain how I felt. “I guess I was tired of being the girl hiding in the shadows. I wanted you to show me the light.”

“Regardless,” he whispered huskily, his breath gusting against my ear, and the curve of my cheek, “I’m glad you did.”

“Me too,” I replied but the words were barely above a whisper.

???

I was shaking.

Why was I shaking?

“Wake up,” Trace coaxed and I felt something soft press against my lips.

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