Page 105 of Fame & Chaos

Any-damn-thing.

She directs me through town until we pull up outside a tiny, weathered house sitting in a rough part of the city. My stomach sinks immediately. The street is full of litter and overturned rubbish bins, the whole place looking run-down and unsafe.

I don’t hesitate before getting out of the car to walk her to the door.

We move up the path together in silence.

“So… thanks for tonight,” she says eventually before glancing at me with a laugh. “It was… interesting.”

“When can I see you again?”

“What do you want to do?”

I shrug. “I don’t care. I could come over, and we could watch a movie and eat dinner, or do nothing. Whatever you want.”

“Dinner and a movie sounds nice.”

“So when are you free? Is tomorrow too soon?” The second the words leave my mouth, I mentally kick myself for sounding so fucking desperate.

She giggles and steps into me, wrapping her arms around my waist before cuddling against my chest. I close my eyes instantly, soaking in the feeling of having her close again.

“Tomorrow sounds good,” she murmurs. “I’ll message you when I get home from work, and you can come over if you want?”

“Sounds perfect.”

She tilts onto her toes, but she’s still too short to reach me properly, so I lean down and meet her halfway, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

Because if I kiss her any harder than that, I won’t leave.

And if I don’t leave, I’m absolutely following her inside.

She pulls back slowly with a smile. “Until tomorrow.”

“Sleep well, sweet Indi.”

Stepping back, I let her reach into her oversized bag for her keys.

“You too, Caleb.” Then she looks at me again.

And time fucking stops.

We stand there staring at each other like the rest of the world has disappeared. I can feel everything she refuses to say flowing through those beautiful blue eyes, because it’s the exact same thing I’m feeling.

Love.

Need.

Longing.

It pulses between us so intensely, I swear I can almost feel her breath against my skin even though we aren’t close enough for that to be possible.

I lean toward her slightly.

Just one more kiss.

Please.

She leans toward me too, matching the movement instinctively.