“I want to help you.” I can’t look away from the pain in his beautiful eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me how bad things were?”
“I wanted to talk to you, tell you everything, but I didn’t want to heap my shit on you. I—”
“Don’t say that. You can talk to me.”
His eyes shimmer. “I don’t want pity, least of all from you.”
“Pity?” I suck in a sharp breath. “No way. Ash, you’re the strongest person I know. I don’t think I’d have survived so much and not gone insane.”
He snorts but I don’t give him a chance to speak.
“You will stay at my place,” I say. “If I’d known, I’d have offered from the start.”
“But your mom—”
“Listen, Ash. You’re not your father, and I’m not my mom. If she doesn’t like it, then I’ll find another apartment. I’ll get a job, you’ll find your feet and together we can pull this off. Dad left me some money. We’ll be fine.”
Even in the faint light I can see the blood draining from his face. Shit, did I say something wrong?
“We,” he rasps. “You said, ‘we’.”
Oh, that. “I know I’m not really your girlfriend. That we were just messing around. That has nothing to do with you staying with me. We’re friends first of all. You can have the couch for as long as you want, okay?”
“Would you?”
“Would I what?”
“Be my girlfriend.”
My eyes sting. This boy keeps making me cry—but this time in a good way. “Is this a question?” I whisper.
He grins so that his bright eyes crinkle in the corners. “Is that a yes?”
“Depends. Are we talking a relationship? Total trust? No secrets and half truths?”
“No secrets,” he whispers and licks his lips. That draws my gaze back to his mouth and leaning over him, I brush my lips over his.
His eyes are heavy-lidded when I pull back. “Auds...”
“Then yes,” I say. “I’m yours. I said I love you, Ash, and I meant it.”
“So that wasn’t a dream, either,” he murmurs. His throat works. “Stay with me?”
When I nods, he shifts, wincing, and lies on his side.
Kicking off my shoes, I climb under the covers with him. Boy are we gonna give the nurse a scare in the morning. I curl against him, as I’ve longed to do, and rest my head on his shoulder, careful not to press against his bruised ribs. As his hand rubs my back, I listen to his heartbeat and close my eyes.
Every single time he left, that he told me to stay away, I resisted. He’s good for me, I know it deep in my heart. I feel happy with him, free. Cherished. Protected.
What did I come here to find out? I’m not even sure. But all I want is to be with him.
Maybe that’s my answer.
***
It’s barely dawning outside when I wake up. Oh good, I won’t scare the nurse to death.
Only problem is I can’t move. Overnight I’ve rolled on my side and a strong arm is draped over my waist, anchoring me to a muscular male chest. Something long and hard pokes the small of my back.