Page 252 of Hide and Keep

“You look so stupid right now.”

“I feel stupid right now.”

“Good. Don’t do things without telling me again.”

“Not that.” I fully stand by everything I did last night. I would do it again and again and a-fucking-gain for her. “I meant lying here.”

“Oh.” She loses some of her steam as she takes in my pathetic position. “Can you walk?”

“How far?”

“To your bed.”

I tap my chest with all ten fingertips, hating the feeling of being powerless but not these revelations. I knew Ever waspossessive. I didn’t know she was protective, too. And selfless? Gotta be honest, I never saw that one coming. She’s going to make a hell of a mom one day.

Before I can stop myself, I’m imagining Ever cradling a baby, our baby, her motherly instincts sharpened to a fine point. She’ll be loving all right, fiercely so.

I shake my head to clear the fantasy, and tell her as seriously as I can, “You’ll have to carry me.”

Ever widens her eyes while her face lights up from a grin, making her the prettiest thing in the world. Fuck any mountain range, river view, beachscape. A smiling Ever Munreaux is more postcard-worthy than any of those.

Stupid fucking girl. I love her with every ounce of my being. She better not ever put herself in danger again. I couldn’t live with myself.

“I can’t,” she admits.

“What do you mean? You got past my barricade.” Supposedly.

She rolls her eyes before stretching those dainty hands out to me. “That was a chair. You’re twice my size.”

I take her hands and pretend to let her pull me up. I’m not going to my bed though. Strangely, I’m not even that tired. Probably because I had a cheerleader for a pillow.

“What are you doing?” that same cheerleader asks when I turn on the shower.

“I gotta get the stench off me.” Hopefully it’ll wash away some of this humiliation, too. “I’ll only be a minute.”

Ever sheds her clothes in record time, absolutely fucking naked in seconds, exactly the way I like her.

But no, I’m gross. I can smell myself and I reek. I know Ever thinks so, too. How can she not? She’s not used to unpleasantries and I’m currently unpleasant as fuck.

“That wasn’t an invitation, little bat.”

She scoffs. “I have an open invitation when it comes to showering with you.”

“Not this time. Come on.” I point at the door. “You gotta get out.”

All she does is cross her arms over her chest, like that makes her more intimidating. If anything, it makes her more enticing. Her small swells are all pushed up, ready to be devoured.

I cross my arms, too, since that’smymove. I’m more threatening of the two of us. What I say goes.

What I say sometimes goes.

What I say should go more than it actually does. I fold way too easy for Ever.

But I’m not folding on this. I’m showering alone. End of story.

“What if you fall?” she asks.

I almost fucking snort.

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