Page 10
I blush. “Thank you.”
“Ah—” He mutters a curse, and covers his face with his free hand, looking at me between his fingers. Heat soaks into his cheeks, drowning his freckles and scruff. “I’ve missed you, Dece. I didn’t know what to do. I kept telling myself you effed up, Wynnter, she’ll come back to you when she’s ready, if she’s ever ready. But I ’bout lost my—” He swears. “—mind waiting.”
“I don’t…understand.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you don’t.” Tender, he leans down to meet my eyes square on. “You got wasted at August’s wedding, pushed me into my room, and started kissing me senseless before confessing that you were in love with me.”
My mouth drops open.
Gentle, Wynnter closes it. “Yeah.”
“I…”
“Mmhm.”
My lashes flutter, and my breaths shorten. Steam fills my chest, making it too hot everywhere.
Caressing, Wynnter leans in close and murmurs an unrepentant, “I took advantage of you.”
“You mean…” I hug myself. “We’ve…”
“Kissed before. And you agreed to run away with me.”
“But…did we…”
“No. We didn’t get that far. Not that you weren’t willing.” Gaze simmering, he looks me over and adds, “I had a bit of restraint…but only because you were drunk. I don’t know what I’d do if you threw yourself at me like you did while sober.”
Something occurs to me, something that seems a heck of a lot like so many pieces falling into place. “That afternoon when you showed up at my parents’ the day after the wedding… You…were coming to get me. Because…I agreed to let you come get me.”
“Yeah.”
“Oh…” I cover my face, lose the strength in my legs, and sink. “Oh no.”
He follows me to the cold tile floor, pushing my hair back over my ear. Sweetly commanding, he says, “Apologize.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“More.”
I sniffle and meet his eyes. “I’m so, so, so sorry.”
“You broke my heart, Dece.”
I crumple, planting my hands on his bent knees and leaning in. “Please forgive me, Wynn. I would never… I… I didn’t know what was going on, and my parents were right there, and they were already mad at me for coming home so late, and…”
His calloused thumb outlines my ear. “I’ll forgive you—if I like the reason you’re here now. After months of avoiding me.”
“I wasn’t av—”
“You were.”
Was I? I thought we hadn’t seen each other because he didn’t want to see me, but maybe I was also too scared to reach out on my own and learn whether or not that was the truth.
He settles his arm above his knees and searches my eyes. “Maybe it was subconscious, though, because you’d never do something like that intentionally. Not to me.” His lips touch my cheek, and his thumb paints across my pulse. “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me anymore. I thought I’d scared you.”
Fervently, I shake my head. “No. You didn’t. You don’t.”
He nestles his stubbled cheek against his arm and peers at me. “Why are you here?”
