Page 18 (1/2)

Chapter Eighteen

Sunlight poured in through theand an ar had ainst er he’d orderedup as far away fro asleep instantly I was still ononto me like some sort of lifeline

I reached up to o use the bathroom

"Don’t Please, just let er," he mumbled into my hair

"You’re awake," I replied

"M er"

I smiled for the first time since the Ashton incident

"You can still enjoy yourself without ling even closer tohis hand so that his palm covered my bare stomach where my tank top had inched up in my sleep

"I can’t enjoy it without you You’re what I’," he whispered in a deep sleepy voice as he took a small nip at my earlobe

"Ah," I squealed and he chuckled, sending chill bu my ear and neck

"I missed you so much," he replied in a more serious tone

I didn’t need to point out I’d been with him for three days I knehat he meant Mentally and emotionally, I’d been checked out yesterday My chest didn’t ache this ain Maybe it was the fact Sawyer’s big ar o to the restroo his arm with my nails

"Will you pro in the shower again and getting ready However, as much as I hated to admit it, I’d missed him too

"Yes, if that’s what you want"

"I want," he murmured in my ear and pressed a soft kiss tothe small bottle of mouthith you," I called out when I heard the bathroom door open

Lana walked around the bed and handed o"

I opened it and took a swig Then swished it around so it

"You did not just s that!"

Grinning, I reached up, grabbed her tiny waist and pulled her down on top of me

"I believe I did I probably need ," I teased leaning up and taking a nip at her bottom lip

"Mouth toYou need your stomach pumped," she informed me as she pressed a kiss to the side of my mouth

"Hmmmm well that sounds like a lot of work I’ll think about it later" I slipped ht her mouth down to mine Just as she opened her

She pulled back from the kiss I needed this kiss I needed reassurance I hadn’t lost this whatever it e had between us "Don’t answer it," I begged, reaching up to kiss her chin Laughing softly she curled back into et a taste of herstopped it started up again Lana lifted her head and glanced over at her phone with a frown I fought the urge to grab the phone and throw it against the wall to shut it up

"It ency," she said and I loosened my hold on her and let her crawl off me and check her phone The tense expression that ca to see as bothering her Because it obviously wasn’t a welcome call

Mom - flashed across the screen

Lana slipped out of bed, "I need to take this She’ll just keep calling until I do"

"Hello Mom," her voice sounded tired instead of worried by her et her on the phone Lana walked around the bed and headed for the bathroom Once the door clicked into place, I threw the pillow across the rooto bet she’d been going to tell ht I wouldn’t have to worry about how to fix it I’d knohat needed to be done

"No MOM!" I heard her raised voice and I ju her privacy but she was upset I had ood reason

"I don’t want you to call hietting himself a brand new faure this all out Just leave it alone Please"

Was she talking about her Dad?

"Mom, I’m an adult You can’t continue to try to et to make those now So please, back off"

I backed away fro the ht Why did I care soout her problems? It wasn’t like ere an actual couple I tensed up as that realization came over me I had no claiain, I couldn’t stop her fro yes Someone else could touch the soft shs, her stomach, her oh, hell no I needed to fix this and fast This wasour separate ways in August but right now, I didn’t want to share I wouldn’t be able to share I was pretty dauy’s arms off his body if I saw him touch her

The bathroom door opened and Lana stepped out A forced smile touched her lips as her eyesto God that she’d tellon in her life

Instead, she only shrugged Dammit

"Lana, listen, we need to talk about so across the roo

She shook her head, "If this is bad news I really don’t think I can handle that right now Give me a few hours first, please"

Well, hell, if the pain in her voice didn’t rip ainst my chest and held her there She was stiff as a board at first but I continued to rub her back and kiss the top of her head until she relaxed and wrapped her arms around my waist

"It isn’t bad But it is time sensitive," I explained

She tilted her head to look at me, "Time sensitive?"

"Very As in someone could lose a limb if they stepped out of line"

Lana pulled back and the frown puckering her broas adorable

"What in the world are you talking about, Sawyer?"

"The fact I want no, I need, for us to be exclusive until we part e head off to college"

Lana made a small ‘o’ with her ood plan But ould someone lose a lier, "Because if they touched you, I’d have to rip off the offending lihter escaped her and then she bit down on er Her eyes smiled up at me like a playful kitten

"So, you want to play rough, do you?" I picked her up and threw her down on the bed before covering her body with mine

Lana

The ride back to Grove went fast but then I’d slept most of the way Jake had not been happy when Sawyer infor up front I felt bad about it but I liked knowing Saanted ear into their cars and left Ashton had even gone inside to go to bed She was still pretty weak Sawyer took s and put them inside the door of the house, then looked back atthe door behind ?"

He shook his head and pulled ainst him My aunt and uncle weren’t home but they could drive up at any minute I wasn’t sure what they’d think of this

"Okay Let ht back down"

"I’ll wait here," he replied, letting go of my hand so I could run back inside

I knocked softly on Ashton’s door then peeked my head inside She was already curled up under the covers Closing her door softly, I headed back to Sawyer

"She okay?" he asked as I stepped outside

"Yep"

"Good Let’s go"