Pretend You're Mine (Inked Hearts 3)

“It’s empty.” I stare into her blue-green eyes. “Unless you’re chicken.”

“It’s a crowded area.”

“Should I make a back-ay noise?”

“You just did.” She picks up another taco. “Besides, you’re bluffing.”

“Try me.”

She shakes her head. “Another time. I need to nurse my ego.”

That’s fair.

She takes a bite. Chews. Swallows. “I want a family too. But I don’t know if I’d be any good at it.” She finishes her taco, plants her hands on the concrete, and leans back to look up at the stars. “I don’t exactly have a worthy role model.”

“You can learn.”

“Maybe.”

“You can talk about it.”

“Another time. I’ve had enough baggage for tonight.”

“You can still spend the night.”

“I know.”

But she doesn’t.

She doesn’t know how much I need her. How much I want to be all hers. How much I want to fix this.

There’s some way to prove it to her.

I just need to figure it out.

Chapter 36

Ryan

When I wake at three a.m., she’s gone. But yesterday’s clothes are still on my bedroom floor.

She isn’t running away.

Not completely.

I brush my teeth, wash my face, take out my contacts.

My bed isn’t an inviting place to sleep. It’s a fucking curse. She’s right. I’ve had a year to get rid of this fucking thing. To replace the frame and the mattress instead of just the sheets.

I thought getting rid of it meant Penny had some power over me. But she still does, whether I admit it or not.

I might as well move on with my life.

When sunrise creeps through the curtains, I give up on sleep.

I can’t replace the bed at the moment. But I can do this.

I slide on my glasses and spend an hour rearranging the room.