woman, and she couldn’t get that confused. She needed to
think past the pleasure, the unexpected and the expected. But
later.
Right now, she just wanted to nuzzle against Haley’s sleepy
warmth and drown in the sweet sensation of having her
pressed up against her, her arms wrapped around her neck, her
breaths slower and slower, gentle and further apart.
Peace. That’s what had been missing in her life. Haley had
been missing in her life.
Claire lifted a shaking hand and slowly moved a few damp
strands of hair away from Haley’s cheek before she kissed her
there. She didn’t even stir. She was out and she was out deep,
sleeping soundly, so trusting. Claire had never felt so mended
or so broken.
She moved away gently, taking care not to wake Haley. She
slowly covered her with the quilt and then leaned her back
against the headboard and smiled down at the angel in her bed.
It couldn’t last. It wouldn’t last. But she just wanted a few
more minutes like this, private moments where she felt
perfectly broken and reassembled and the world was just right.
Chapter 17
Claire
What she was doing was dangerous. Watching Haley sleep
was like a punch to the gut. She couldn’t just give her up. That
was her first red flag. There were so many others. The way
that Claire was drawn to Haley like they were in orbit together,
making a galaxy by circling around each other. It wasn’t just
her beauty, though that was what slayed her first. Haley was
the entire picture, the real deal, and of course Claire would
have to meet her now, when she couldn’t have her.