Chapter 117 (1/2)

Silent seconds pass by before he rests his head against my chest.

“How often?” My heart is twisted and aching for him.

“Only about once a week or so. I take pills for them now, but on nights like tonight, it was too late to take them.”

“I’m sorry.” I force myself to forget that we haven’t seen each other in months. I don’t think about the way we have already slipped back into touching one another. I don’t care, though; I would never turn away from comforting him, no matter the circumstance.

“Don’t be. I’m fine.” He nuzzles further into my neck and wraps both arms around my waist. “I’m sorry that I woke you.”

“Don’t be.” I lean into the back of the couch.

“I’ve missed you.” He yawns, drawing my body into his chest. He lies back, bringing me with him, and I let him.

“Me, too.”

I feel his lips press against my forehead and I shiver, basking in the warmth and familiarity of his lips on my skin. It doesn’t make sense to me how it could be this easy, this natural, to find myself in Hardin’s arms again.

“I love how real this is,” he whispers. “It’s never going to go away, you know that, don’t you?”

Grasping for a sliver of logic, I say, “We have different lives now.”

“I’m still waiting for you to see it, that’s all.”

“See what?” When he doesn’t respond, I look up at him to find his eyes closed, his lips slightly parted in sleep.

I WAKE TO THE SOUND of the coffeepot beeping in the kitchen. Hardin’s face is the first thing I see when my eyes open, and I’m not sure how to feel about it.

I detach my body from his, lifting his arms off my waist, and scramble to my feet. Landon walks out from the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee between his hands. An unmistakable smile is painted across his face.

“What?” I ask, stretching my arms. I haven’t shared a bed, or couch, with anyone since Hardin. One night Robert stayed over because he locked himself out of his apartment, but he slept on the couch and I slept in my bed.

“Noooooo-thing.” Landon’s smile grows, and he tries to hide it by taking a drink of steaming coffee.

I roll my eyes at him, fighting a smile, and walk to my room to grab my phone. I panic when the time reads eleven thirty. I haven’t slept this late since I moved here, and now I don’t have time to take a shower before I leave for work.

I pour a cup of coffee and place it inside the freezer to cool while I brush my teeth, wash my face, and get dressed. I’ve become a huge fan of iced coffee, but I hate paying the overpriced fee at the coffee shops for them to only dump ice into the cup. Mine tastes just about the same. Landon agrees.

Hardin is still asleep when I leave, and I find myself leaning over him, ready to kiss him goodbye. Fortunately, Landon walks into the room at the right time, stopping my insane behavior. What is wrong with me?