Page 57 of Off Limits

Thankfully, he doesn’t hesitate. “Maybe. I guess part of me felt like it wasn’t worth putting in the work with the wrong person. Sex, it’s easy. It’s quick, it’s over. It’s all physical, no feelings. There was never a doubt here. I didn’t want to have sex with you. I mean, I did…sheesh, this is coming out wrong.”

The giggle that escapes me feels good, and I tilt my head to kiss his chest as he continues. “I knew I wanted the relationship with you. I wanted,want, to put in the work. Because there have always been feelings.”

I press my hand against his jaw, running my thumb across his cheek. “I love you.”

The scratch of stubble brushes my hand as he turns to kiss my palm. “I love you too.”

“Are we…are we okay?”

Before answering, he wraps his hands around my upper arms and pulls me up, turning me on my side so I’m curled into him. He places my head on his chest, leaning his chin against my forehead and wrapping his arms tightly around my waist.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re okay.” Kissing my forehead and giving me a squeeze, I relax for the first time since I had walked into the house hours earlier.

“You really got two tattoos? For me?”

“I really did.”

“You don’t have any doubts that this won’t work out?”

“None.” Melting, right here. I’m melting. “And let’s just pretend I did, a hawk is still a cool-as-hell tattoo.”

We both laugh softly. Lochlyn always has a way to ease the tension. But it settles quickly. It was our first fight, and it rocked me to my core.

“How are we going to make it through another six weeks?” I ask quietly.

“We won’t have to. That reminds me. There’s going to be a concert in April. You should come up for it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. They’ve had a couple of good ones. Taking Back Sunday, All Time Low. I’m not sure who it’s going to be yet, but I heard it might be Yellowcard.”

“Yellowcard?! You know I love them!”

I shake as he chuckles under me. “I know. I had a feeling you’d be excited. I’m not one hundred percent sure it will be them, but if that’s who they’re talking about, it will at least be a similar type of concert.”

“This is awesome.” Daydreams start to filter through my mind of what going to a concert with him may be like.

“Man, I wish you were looking forward to it. Oh well, maybe you just shouldn’t come.”

He flinches as I pinch his waist. “Not funny. Not only am I insanely excited about the concert, but I get to see you without having to gosix weeksagain. It was hard. Too hard.”

“It’s only a couple of weeks. I don’t know the exact date yet, and then you’ll come for the show, and then just a few more weeks until summer. And before you know it, we’ll both be up in Ithaca.”

A smile spreads across my face. I can’t wait to be at Cornell with Lochlyn. Not just because I’ll get to see him all the time, but because I’m finally getting to where I want to be.

“Don’t you usually get your tattoos for your birthday?”

“I do.”

“But I saw you after your birthday. You didn’t have them.”

“I pushed it a week. I needed you to be genuinely surprised in front of Chelsea. I wasn’t expecting for us to, uh, not be on the best terms.”

“Oh. Yeah, yeah, that makes sense.” My voice betrays me and comes out low and sad.

“Shay, it’s okay. Couples fight, people fight. We just, we have totalkto each other.”

All I can do is nod, which causes him to sigh and squeeze me. How does he expect me to talk to him when I’ve gotten so used to keeping it all bottled up inside, having had nobody to talk to besides Chelsea for years? And with all of this, I’m not willing to tell her and face the ramifications. Not yet.

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