Page 64 of Fall Apart

“Yoga’s one thing. But I’m not crazy enough to join him and Ani on those runs.” I lift my drink and take a sip. I will probably never want to go on a run like that, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t mind watching. The way his shorts show off his thighs is criminal.

“OK, cool,” V says, snapping my mind back to the conversation. “So, we could come back to the house, get ready, and go out for happy hour before dinner.”

“Perfect.” I nod and lick the salt off the rim of my glass. I catch Clay’s eyes watching me. I grin back at him, but he frowns and grabs his phone.

Grumpy Roommate: You should have said something if you were that hungry. I’m sorry.

I read the text again, getting a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing that he’s still worried after I complained about being hangry.

Me: It’s fine. Just laid it on a little extra to sell it to them. But yes, future reference, I will never turn down real food.

Grumpy Roommate: Noted. For the record, you’re the perfect passenger princess.

I put my phone away and look across the table at him. I spent all day in the car with him and still, I already miss being close to him. His eyes meet mine again, his frown gone. I watch him lift his drink, admiring the way the muscles tick and shift under his tattoos. I feel my cheeks heat, wishing his hands were on me right now.

I shift my eyes to Grace sitting next to me, her eyes are already on me. She grins at me knowingly and winks before turning to Clay.

“So what are you going to do tomorrow while we’re out at the mountain?” she asks.

He reaches an arm across the table, scooping some salsa onto a chip. “Probably just hang around the house. TJ said he was going to fly fish in the morning.” He nudges his brother in the side with an elbow. “So I might join him after one of my crazy crack of dawn runs.And I’m definitely going to check out the rest of the house to see how it turned out, since I never actually got to see it in person.”

I feel fingers graze my elbow before Grace leans in, whispering to me. “I honestly can’t remember the last time he’s smiled this much.”

She squeezes my arm before letting go, turning her attention back to the conversation. Something about what she said is both heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. There’s so much I don’t know about their family dynamic, but I do know from V that they all used to be so close. And seeing Clay now, smiling and laughing with his siblings, all I can think about is how much he had to have been hurting when he felt left out. I’m glad he’s here.

And I’m glad I have him in my life.

CHAPTER 29

CLAY

ALONE

Lyingon the pullout sofa in the upstairs loft, I stare up at the ceiling trying to sleep.Tryingbeing the keyword, because I can’t sleep at all knowing that Lizzy is on the other side of the wall. As much as she drove me crazy the first couple of weeks with chaos, from her stuff all over my house to her constantly pushing my buttons, suddenly I want nothing more than to have her wrapped in my arms so I can breathe her in.

I have never felt this way about someone. She consumes my thoughts. She’s not just some distraction like I originally thought. She’s so much more.

I’ve never thought aboutmorebefore.Moremeans opening myself up to getting hurt because it’s something I could lose. And the thought of losing anything I care about, something I might even love, if I’m even capable of that, makes me feel like I’m going to lose control and fall apart.

My thoughts are interrupted when a dim glow catches my eye on the end table. I lean over, checking the notification on my phone.

Princess: Come in here? Everyone’s asleep. It’ll be fine.

I lookat the message and smile, glad that I’m not the only one awake with this feeling.

Me: Miss me already?

I watchthree dots pop up, disappear, and reappear before her message comes through.

Princess: I could tell you… Or you could just come here and see how much I miss you.

My cock twitchesand I throw the covers off in a flurry.

Yep, when it comes to Lizzy Frank, I’m a weak man.

I walk across the loft, taking careful steps to avoid hitting anything in the dark, quietly making my way to Lizzy’s room. I open the door to see her curled up in bed, the glow of her phone bathing her face in light. She smiles and I stride over to her, getting under the covers beside her.

She rolls onto her side and I pull her into me. I hear her let out a contented sigh and she wriggles her ass up against my hard cock. Even through my sweats and her flannel sleep shorts, the curve of her ass against my body sends shivers through me.

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