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She said nothing. Her breathing became louder, though.
I waited two more heartbeats.
“I think I’m falling for you.”
Coward. I knew she’d fallen asleep. But saying the words aloud was more for me than it was for her. I needed to admit the truth to myself first.
I would tackle her truth in the morning. There would be time tomorrow.
13
Ryan
I loved waking up next to Laura. Her soft skin underneath my fingers, the scent of her beneath my nose, and the tickle of her breathing on my arm. I loved all of it.
Spooning her body to mine, I pressed my lips to her jaw. “Good morning, baby,” I said next to her ear.
She groaned and squeezed my arm, pulling me tighter into the embrace. “I don’t want to go to class this morning. I just want to stay here in bed with you.”
I nuzzled her neck and smiled. “Me too.” I turned her so that I could face her. “You don’t have to ask me twice to stay in bed with you.”
She threw her arm over my neck and giggled. I loved her laugh.
“Do you have your mother’s smile?” I asked.
She looked up at the ceiling, thinking. “Mmm, I don’t think so. I have my father’s wide mouth. My mom’s features are a lot daintier than mine.”
She caressed my cheek. “How about you? Who do you look like?”
“Definitely my dad. Colton and I look identical to my father when he was our age. Luke is more the pretty boy.”
She smoothed a finger across my lips. “I don’t know. This face looks quite pretty to me.”
I laughed. I would have hated those words had they come from anyone else. But not her. From Laura, those words made my heart race.
“When I was younger, I would dress up in my father’s suit and tie and pretend to be him. I idolized him and wanted to grow up just like him. He always knew what to do and how to say the right things.”
“I think every kid idolizes their parents until they get old enough to realize they’re just regular people who make mistakes.” Her face changed. There was no longer a smile on her lips, instead lines creased around her tense mouth.
I held still, feeling as though she had said something more significant than she had meant to. “What mistakes did your parents make?”
“They…” She looked down and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were guarded and the smile on her face didn’t quite reach her eyes. “They made the usual mistakes.”
She pulled herself up and rolled off the bed. Finding my shirt, she slipped it on.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I should get to class.” She found her panties and jeans on the floor and pulled them on.
The air in the room had changed. It felt as though there was a frigidness now. Even her movements were cold. Perhaps it was the brisk way she slid her foot inside her boots or the stiff press of her lips on my cheek.
I grabbed her waist before she could leave and pulled her face to mine. “You missed,” I said and kissed her properly. Her lips moved with mine, but her breathing didn’t change as it usually did. Her heart didn’t pound against my fingers on her neck.
“I’ve got to go,” she said with a weak smile and left.
“Hold on. I’ll drive you.”
“It’s okay. You’ve got to get to work and I need to shower before I head to school. I’ll just order a car.”
