@@@@@ “You get the bed, MelI'm not budging on
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“You get the bed, MelI'm not budging on that
“That's not what I mean, either It's barely a whisper“I meant the couch is plenty big for
JamieHe won't outgrow it for a long timeI could share the bed with… youI want to look up, to read the expression on his face, but I'm too mortified
What if he is disgusted? How will I stand it? Will he make me go away?
His warm, callused fingers tug my chin upMy heart throbs when our eyes meet
“Mel, I…” His face, for once, has no smile
I try to look away, but he holds my chin so that my gaze can't escape hisDoes he not feel the
fire between his body and mine? Is that all me? How can it all be me? It feels like a flat sun
trapped between us–pressed like a flower between the pages of a thick book, burning the paper
Does it feel like something else to him? Something bad?
After a moment, his head turns; he's the one looking away now, still keeping his grip on my
chin“You don't owe me that, MelanieYou don't owe me anything at all
It's hard for me to swallow“I'm not saying… I didn't mean that I feltobligatedAnd… you
shouldn't, eitherForget I said anything
He sighs, and I want to disappearGive up–lose my mind to the invaders if that's what it takes
to erase this huge blunderTrade the future to blot out the last two minutes of the past
Jared takes a deep breathHe squints at the floor, his eyes and jaw tight