Page 109 of One Night with Number Nineteen

Because it’s a sense of completion unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.

That realization is what finally has me starting to drift back into myself.

Slowly, I become aware of his body on mine. Aware of his fingers stroking nonsensical patterns along my side.

Aware that something has changed deep inside me.

That this was never going to be one night.

That…I’ll never be the same.

My stomach clenches, nausea burning the back of my throat⁠—

But before I can truly panic, he’s cupping my cheek.

“Was that in The Book That Shall Not Be Written, Pages?”

I freeze.

Then grin.

“No,” I say. “But it damn sure is going to be.”

Thirty-Three

Sawyer

The buzz of a phone snaps me out of sleep and I sit up in a rush.

Fuck. I forgot to set an alarm and it’s now…

Three-thirty.

Shit.

Ollie.

I roll to my side…

And find an empty mattress, but the bathroom door is closed.

“Shit,” I whisper, reaching for my phone and groaning when I see my mom is calling. I can’t do that right now. I toss it aside, pull on my pants, my shirt, my socks and shoes. We’ll be late to get Ollie but not that late.

I hurry to the bathroom door, knock lightly…

And it glides open to reveal an empty bathroom.

Frowning, I hurry out of the bedroom and down the stairs, skidding to a halt in the entryway as the front door swings open and Ollie’s tiny head pokes in.

“Saw-yur!” he exclaims as he rushes toward me, throwing his tiny arms around my middle. “I had school today!”

“I know you did. Was it fun?”

“Yup. I played with blocks and then we did letters. Did you know kite starts with K? And kangaroo. And…and…cantaloupe!”

I ruffle his hair. “Cantaloupe starts with C, bud. But the rest of them start with K, along with kitten.”

He frowns slightly, as though committing that all to memory. Then nods.