Page 7 of A Love Song for Dreamers

A wave of panic rises up, and I fight to keep it down. It’s a losingbattle.

I’ve never felt out of control. No one has ever made me out of control. They can take things from me—home, family. I’ll survive. Butthis…

I’ve always managed myself. I’m the one I can count on. But now I’m broken. Someone tookmefromme.

The worst part is I never saw it coming. I was prepared to lose everything, had felt that before between walking away from Annie and then having my dad die in front of me and losing my contractafter.

But how can you prepare for the possibility of losingyourself?

The question is still spinning in my mind when Annie shifts over me, careful not to bump my bandaged arm. Her weight settles across my thighs, and suddenly my attention’s on her, not my fucked-up life, not my fucked-up hand. It’s impossible to think of anything but her floral scent and the way she feels pressing against mygroin.

My bad arm’s off to the side as if I can forget it by keeping it out of sight. With my good hand, I brush the hair back from her earnest face, tuck it behind herear.

No matter what’s going on, I have this girl. It feels like a small mercy, but I know it’s more than that. It’severything.

“Don’t give up on me,” Imurmur.

Her eyes turn liquid. “Never.”

Her lips find my neck, and I shift, giving her betteraccess.

Maybe if I pretend hard enough to be normal, it’llhappen.

“Back when we were kids,” I start, “I used to check you out. I didn’t admit it to myself. I’d tell myself I was curious what you’d come up with next, but I really wanted to stare at those lips. I wasobsessed.”

“Can I tell you a secret?” she murmurs, kissing down my chest. “They’re obsessed with you,too.”

My heart kicks. So does something else, because she’s squirming in my lap. There’s no hiding how hard I’m getting under mysweatpants.

“You’re gonna kill me,” I murmur at the ceiling as my head falls back on the couch. Cool air flows around my groin, and before I know it, a smooth hand fists mycock.

“You seem healthy to me,” shereplies.

My tortured groan ends on a laugh. “Annie—”

“Relax. You’re supposed to behealing.”

She works the pants down my hips, and I lift to help as my cock springsout.

The first stroke of her hand from tip to hilt has me hissing out abreath.

Fuck,yeah.

The second has my ass tightening, my hips thrusting up into her grip. Sharp pangs of pleasure jolt up my spine, pulling my balls tight. The blood flows through my veins, and I’mthrobbing.

My arm throbstoo.

It’s been days since we’ve done this, and I haven’t forgotten the need I have forher.

She’s eager and open. She meets my gaze with a look of wickedness, silently telling me exactly what she’s going to donext.

Yes.

This beautiful girl with a heart the size of the world is going to make me seestars.

But I can’t kick the throbbing down the left side of mybody.

Her tongue finds the head of my cock, licking the bead at the end, and that’s what I need to forgeteverything.

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