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Jase didn’t move until my parents and brother disappeared, and then two long-legged quick strides brought him to the side of my bed. Heavy silence crept into the room as he sat the box beside the pitcher of water and sat down, his hip resting again mine. My heart jumped into a racing staccato as he carefully brushed his fingers across the ridge of my cheekbone and tucked my hair back behind my ear.
He scrutinized my face slowly, the intense perusal missing nothing, chronicling what was most likely a nasty bruise that had the right side of my jaw swollen like an orange was shoved in my mouth. The corner of my right lip felt off, and the skin around my eye ached.
I bet I looked like I’d been on the losing side of a cage fight.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked, voice gruff with concern and thready with what sounded like fear. “Hurt you more than I can see?”
At first I didn’t understand what he meant and then I did. “No—God, no.”
Jase closed his eyes as a deep breath shuddered through him. “When I came through that door and saw him on you and you just—just lying there, I thought I was too late. I thought you were gone.”
“I thought I was going to die in that room with him. I really did, but you got there in time,” I assured him. “You saved my life. Thank you.” I forced every emotion I felt into those words. “Thank you.”
“That’s something I never wanted you to ever thank me for.” He leaned in, planting his left hand on the bed beside my shoulder, anchoring his weight. He said nothing as he bowed his head, and when he kissed the left corner of my lips, emotion swelled in my chest.
He stayed where he was as he spoke and with each word, his lips brushed mine, acting as a physical seal to what he said. “I have been nothing but a jackass these last couple of weeks, and I know right now is not the time to talk about this, but there is something I need to say. Okay?”
I took a deep breath. “All right.”
Jase placed the tips of his fingers against my left cheek. “I have had issues with getting close to any girl because of Kari and Jack, but you . . . you were different. You got under my skin and dug your way into my heart. Probably that first time we kissed, you got there and I thought I could handle this—handle these feelings, but when I realized how deep they ran, it scared the shit out of me. I didn’t want to get hurt again. I didn’t want to lose someone like I already did. But then I almost lost you today. For real. And that’s what I’ve been scared of. I would’ve lost you before I even had you. And the very thought of that kills me.”
He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against mine with the slightest pressure. “I wanted to talk to you. That’s why I texted you, because I fucking missed you and I thought . . .” He pulled away, shaking his head. There was a sheen to his eyes that caused my throat to constrict. “Anyway, we’ll talk more later because you don’t need this shit right now.”
I wanted to tell him that I was okay with this shit, with hearing more, because the rawness of his words was tearing me up and patching me together, filling me with hope and diminishing the events of today, but he reached over to the nightstand and picked up the pink box.
“I got this for you after music class and I wanted to give it to you when I came over to help with your dorm, so I’ve had it for a while. It might not be fresh.” The tips of his cheeks flushed pink as he opened the box. “It’s vanilla with strawberry icing. I, uh, know how much you like that kind of icing.”
My gaze followed the blush as it deepened. It was so rare to see him uncomfortable or unsure of what he was doing.
He peeked up at me through lowered lashes. “You probably don’t want anything to eat right now, so how about just the icing?”
My stomach grumbled, although the knots forming in my belly dampened my hunger, but he looked so hesitant that I couldn’t refuse him. “I’d like that.”
One side of his lips quirked up as he slashed his pinkie finger through the rich icing, scooping up quite a bit of the pink stuff. I wasn’t expecting this method of tasting as he lifted his finger to my lips.
His eyes met mine then, and a flutter took root in my stomach as I opened my mouth. There was no way I could look away as I took his finger into my mouth and got my first taste of the sugary sweetness. And he kept his eyes on mine as he repeated the motions until all the icing was gone and my face felt warm.
Jase sat the opened box aside and then bowed his head to mine. I gasped as his tongue flicked out, gliding across my lower lip. “You had some icing on your lip.”
“Oh.” I was beyond the point of forming comprehensive responses.
He drew back, eyes glimmering. “That might have been a lie.”
My lips tipped into a grin. “Might?”
“Okay.” He reached down, threading his fingers through mine carefully. He brushed his lips over the bruised, achy skin. “It was most definitely a lie.”
A small laugh broke free. “That’s the kind of lie I don’t mind.”
“It’s a tasty lie, huh?” When I nodded, the tension in his shoulders started to ease away, but then I yawned and he stiffened. “You need to sleep.”
Between the pain meds and everything, the allure of sleep was too strong to deny, but I didn’t want to say good-bye to him. I glanced down at our joined hands, to his pinkie that was slightly stained with pink. “Will . . . will you stay with me? As long as they let you?”
His eyes lightened to a silvery gray as his lips tipped up in a lopsided smile. “Baby, I’m all yours if you want me to be.”
Those words seemed to be heavy with meaning, and I felt my chest spasm. “I do.”
Bowing his head, he kissed the center of my hand and then let go. He stood with a fluid grace I envied and walked to the curtain. As he pulled it closed, he glanced over his shoulder and winked at me with a playful grin.
