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His voice washed overthe ballad

I’ve got this feeling that coers and one broken nose

Dark waters very cold

I know I’ll make it home

This sorry sun has burned the sky

She’s out of touch and she’s very high

Her bed was made of stone

I know I’ll break her throne

These aching bones won’t hold h

These smokestacks burn them down

This ocean let it drown

When he finished I was quiet He gaveI was still alive I squeezed his ar over so he couldn’t see the tears in my eyes The combination of his voice and theaWhy he wanted anything to do with me, I had no idea

"Thank you," I said

"Anytihtto me "What’s it called?"

"‘Homesick’ I wrote it for the last albu over to check out my face "Shit, I made you sad I’"

He frowned but lay back down, pressed his chest againsthappy next time"

"If you like" I pressedacross, and the dusting of dark hair "David?"

"Hreat voice"

"I do back-up Ji" His fingers twined with mine "He wasn’t always the asshole he is now I’m sorry he hassled you in LA I could have killed hi that shit"

"It’s okay"

"No, it’s not He was off his face He didn’t have a fucking clue what he was talking about" His thueous You don’t need to change a thing"

I didn’t knohat to say at first Jis and it had stayed with me Funny how the bad stuff always did

"I’ve both puked and cried on you Are you entirely sure about that?" I joked, finally

"Yes," he said si out whatever shit crosses yourwith me I like you"

I lay there speechless for a moment, taken aback "Thank you"

"You’re welcome Anytime, Evelyn Anytiainst the back of my neck Shivers raced across my skin "Do you?"

"Yes Verytiot heavier and he stilled, asleep against my back My foot went fuzzy with pins and needles but never mind I hadn’t slept with anyone before, apart fro episode with Lauren Apparently, sleeping was all I’d be doing today

In all honesty, it felt good, lying next to hiht

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Hey" David padded down the stairs seven hours later, wearing a torapped around his waist He’d slicked his wet hair back and his tattoos were displayed to perfection, defining his lean torso and muscular arms There was a lot of skin on show The man was a visual feast I ue inside rin off my face was beyond my abilities I’d planned to play it cool so as not to spook him That plan had failed

"What’cha doin’?" he asked

"Nothing s and boxes waiting by the door All day I’d pondered the proble I’d come up as that I didn’t want our tin those annul all over again I wanted David I wanted to be with him I needed a new plan

The pad of my thumb rubbed over one for a long walk up the beach earlier, watching the waves crash on the shore and reliving that kiss Over and over again, I’d played it inside my mind The same went for our conversations In fact, I’d picked apart every ether, explored every nuance Every moment I could remember, anyway, and I’d tried damn hard to remember all of it

"A delivery?" He crouched down beside the closest package and started tearing at the wrapping I avertedwildly curious

"Would you mind if I used your phone?" I asked