Page 179 of Home Game

I paused. She held the door of her apartment open wider.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Zoey letme use her shower and then I slowly crawled into her bed, wincing with each movement.

“Are you hurt?” She lifted her head from her pillow.

“Just stiff and sore,” I dropped heavily onto my back. “Wake me in a year.”

She giggled. “You want a back rub?”

The pillow muffled my voice. “Yes, but it’ll be too hard to cuddle you if you’re on my back, massaging me.”

“You want to cuddle?”

“Is that okay?”

She mashed into my side and I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her tight against me.

She sighed.

I was finally home. I shut my eyes and slept.

I cracked open my eyes,taking in the bedroom. “Why does this bed feel so familiar?”

Zoey sat beside me, in her PJ bottoms and tank top. She was working on her laptop. “Because it’s the same bed as in your guest room.”

Our eyes met. “I sleep in there every night.”

She put her laptop on the nightstand and then lay down beside me. “How come?”

“Cause it made me feel close to you. Why did you buy the same bed?”

“Cause I could shut my eyes and pretend I was still living with you.”

I lifted my hand and our fingers tangled.

“I should have never let you go.”

Her blue eyes held mine. “It was hard, but it was the right thing to do.”

I leaned up to kiss her, but she avoided my kiss. “I need to brush my teeth.”

I laughed. “Really?”

“Ryan!”

“I have an idea.”

“What?”

“Let’s go shower.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Together?”

My eyes dropped to her mouth not answering her question. “We can shower and go for breakfast.”

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