Page 62 of Unraveling with You

Remington’s considerate fingers smooth delicate pressure down my sore wrists and thighs. “How are you feeling now?”

“Good,” I whisper. “A bit more grounded. What about you?”

“I’m still floating a little. I probably will be forever.”

I laugh, pressing a lazy kiss into his mouth. Our lips remain locked for a few breaths, inhaling each other’s air before pulling away to resume looking into each other’s eyes.

“You’re not going to want to release me so I can ice you, huh?” Remington grins. I giggle, shaking my head, and he chuckles. “Then let’s go over what we liked, and what we’d like to do differently next time.”

I bite my lip, unable to contain a smile at the thought of there being a next time. That we could continue to play and heal like this as long as we wish. But as I skate my fingertips through Remington’s sweaty hair, I know exactly what I’d like better.

“I’d like to see your eyes more next time,” I whisper. “I felt like my heart was in it even more whenever our eyes met behind my shoulder - when you bent over to kiss me to tell me without words that you were enjoying yourself. It made me feel extra connected to you.”

Remington freezes. It’s only after I give him a few quick squeezes down his arms that he resumes his gentle touches over my back. “I didn’t know you understood that so clearly, but I– I feel really seen. So taken care of.”

My heart lifts above the bed, holding him there with me. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

He blinks through a giddy, touched smile, snuggling in even closer. “And, L.L.B., I have to say– I really loved that you could say ‘no’ to me. I know you might still see it as an inconvenience for me to have to stop, but to be honest, you saying ‘no’ actually makes me feel way more relaxed that I really do have your consent.”

I’m stunned silent. My heart restarts as I blink, piecing together everything he just told me. I knew saying “no” was necessary for my own safety, but I never thought so clearly about how it grants Remington his. What I perceived as rejecting him was actually protecting his sense of security. My “no” doesn’t hinder him; it rescues him.

My heart tumbles over itself as Remington massages my sore wrists, quieting his breath as he gives me room to process. But the more he applies gentle, loving pressure there to replace the hurt my dad caused me, the more I crave feeling Remington all over me.

“I miss the feeling of being held up by you. It was so nice,” I whisper.

Remington breaks into a massive grin. “God, I’m so fucking happy to hear you telling me what you like so openly these days. Come here, baby.”

Balling me up on the bed against his chest, Remington snuggles me into his bare skin before draping his fluffy blankets over our cooled, damp bodies. As he nestles me into the deepest sleep I’ve ever experienced, it’s with the knowledge that someone in this life has seen more of me than I knew I had within me, unraveling it for both of us to see. I hope he feels just as safe.

CHAPTER 13

I’VE GRADUATED TO PULL-ups.

Remington’s bright stare meets me in the mirror. “You’ve got it, you’ve got it! Just one more!”

I huff through my nod, my muscles boosted by his encouragement. As I hoist myself higher, Remington’s phone rings for the third time in the past three minutes. I’ve rarely heard it ring once in the eight months we’ve known each other, so I peek at Remington.

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