Page 131 of Paper Hearts

He nods and we stare at one another. “Thank you,” he says, leaning in to kiss me once more.

“For what?”

He smirks, winking at me, biting his bottom lip. “Oh, you know.”

I laugh, shaking my head and covering my face with my palms. “I can’t believe how easy I am. First night back, I have sex with you. Second night, I fuck you again….”

Ender chuckles. “I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

“Of course you don’t.” I shove his chest lightly. “You’re a boy.”

His hand lifts to cover mine over his heart. “A boy who doesn’t want to let the girl go again.”

“Next week we fly out to LA… on Thursday. I think I come back Sunday. I could come to Mobile after that.”

He scans my face, sadness in his eyes. “I don’t know that I can wait that long.”

I know exactly what he means.

Leaning in, he presses his lips to my bare shoulder, ghosting kisses over my collarbone. “I let you go once,” he whispers softly in my ear, nuzzling his face in my hair. “I’m not sure I can do it again.” His words are pushed out carefully, rough, and they break at the end.

Nervousness pricks at my skin and I choke on my breath. I wrap my arms around him. “You’re not letting me go again. This time it’s different.”

He chuckles and pulls back. “If you say so. Feels the same to me.”

I touch his face, his cheek, and he leans into my touch, his lashes fluttering. “It’s different.”

He swallows, searching my eyes. His lips find my forehead again, his voice shaking as he whispers, “I suppose your right.”

“I have to go. I’ll see you in a couple hours.”

And then I leave, because if I don’t, I won’t. I don’t look back at him either, not sure if I can walk away from him as easily as I thought I could.

Back at my aunt Leslie’s house, Eddie is sound asleep in the bed, still wearing my nightgown and snoring. I curl up next to her and watch her sleep. “I hope I’m doing what’s right for you,” I whisper, kissing her forehead.

Just as I’m thinking I might fall back asleep, Arya calls. Sliding my finger over the screen, I step out of the room and onto the screened-in porch. “Hey, wifey,” I whisper.

She giggles. “That sounds so weird to say.”

“How’s the honeymoon?” They left hours after the reception for the Bahamas, but the storm that rolled through here the other night was only the start to a chain of tropical storms off the Atlantic. Welcome to summer in the South.

“It’s not too bad. It hasn’t stopped raining, but I’m so damn horny lately it don’t matter.” She laughs. “We’ve only left our room once.”

I smile and curl up in the rocking chair as the sky outside begins to rumble and dark clouds paint the early morning light chalky gray. “I guess it’s a good thing you’re already pregnant.”

“I guess so,” she rushes to say, but then sighs. “So… how’d it go?”

“Well, after you left, Theo and Ender got into it….” My voice trails off and I wonder how what she’ll ask next.

“How bad?” I don’t have to see her face to know she’s scared.

“Ender put him in the hospital.”

“Is he okay?”

Thunder rolls through the sky, louder this time as the willow trees begin to sway. “Who?”

“Ender.” Arya sniffs as if she’s crying. “I don’t care what happens to my dad. I had a hard time letting him walk me down the aisle. The more I knew about what he did to my brother, the more I can’t believe he’s the same man who told me he’d always protect me. Hypocrite much? What happened to protecting Ender?”

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