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I collapse face first beside hi out one of the earbuds "Feeling any better?"

I bury o to sleep"

He lies down and rotates on his side, facing o to sleep I’ll stay with you until your et home"

I close htly places his hand on my back My eyelids flutter open at the contact of his warertips He’s so close that his warm breath dusts my cheeks

"You shouldn’t feel icky," he says softly, his hand starting towrong, but trust people tooDon’t ever lose that"

"I’ll try, but " I sink deeper into the pillow as tears sting ue downkiss ever I rinsed and brushed my teeth, but I swear to God, I can still feel it on ain, I crack an eyelid open He’s dazing off over my shoulder with undiluted pain in his eyes The realness of hiers yearn to jot doritten words

God, what has he been through to create such a look?

When his focus lands back on me, his eyes burn fiercely, as if he’s terrified out of his damn mind "Shut your eyes," he whispers, al hih to make the calmest person in the world feel disconcerted

He sticks the earbud in loomy, unhurried beat of Radiohead’s "How To Disappear Coh ," I ulfsthe words right from my mouth My breath catches in my throat My first instinct is to pull away, but I don’t want to I want to stay Let him erase that last few hours from my mind

I keep my eyes shut, too afraid to open theainstbrush A soul-drowning taste He does it again and again, taking his tiht

As I absorb each soft graze, his tongue slowly follows, slipping into asp, but still don’t open my eyes I barelyat s pro