Playing (Inked Hearts 2)

His lips curl into a smile. God, his smile does things to me. It's the silver lining on a cloudy day.

He grabs two mugs from the cabinet, divides the ice cream sixty/forty, hands me the fuller mug.

"Spoons." I nod to the drawer below the microwave.

He grabs two, slides one into his mug, hands the other to me.

I settle onto the couch and wrap a blanket around my shoulders.

I bring a spoonful of ice cream to my lips. Sugar and coffee. Everything I love. Everything that makes me happy.

"You can say anything you want, Iris." He moves closer. "But I'm not here to talk."

I arch a brow.

"Not for that. Wouldn't turn it down, but that's not my intention." He presses his lips to my forehead. "I'm just here."

"You're just here?"

He nods.

"You're sure you've never been a boyfriend before?"

"Yeah."

"You're good at it."

"I'm a fast learner." He bring

s a spoonful of ice cream to his lips. "You look like you're gonna break, sweetness."

I nod. "I… Lily isn't ready to talk to me. And I get that. Really, I do. I'm not sure if she's still hurting. Or if she thinks I'll be the way I was. What if I do go back to how I was? What if school stops satisfying me? What if I get desperate for anything to make it better?"

"What if? What would you do?"

"I don't know. Talk to my therapist. To you. Work out more. Read. But what if—"

"What did you do before?"

Get high. "Not that."

"Sounds like you've got it figured out."

"Maybe." I'm in a better place than I was. I don't want to self-medicate anymore. Even if it's tempting sometimes.

He leans in to press his lips to mine.

He tastes good, like coffee and sugar and Walker.

"Everybody does shit they regret. What matters is how you pick up the pieces." He moves closer.

"But your sister—"

"She crushes the pieces under her heel. You're nothing like Bree. Trust me."

"What if I am?"

"You're not."