Page 49 of The Games We Play

That makes him smile, and I can see how much he loves his mom. Like that comment makes him proud.

A few minutes pass, maybe longer. And we’re stuck, happily in a world where it’s just us for a moment in time. Gazing into his suffocating eyes, layered with pain, yet dare I say peace—at least for now. We lay in silence when a shooting star skims the horizon.

“Did you see that?” I say excitedly as I sit up and point to the sky.

“Make a wish.” He props himself up on his elbow, watching me as I close my eyes and silently make my wish.

Laying back down, we’re flush with each other again.

“What did you wish for?” His mouth is turned up in an adorable smile as his eyes take me in. He could easily make fun of me for acting like a ten-year-old, wishing on shooting stars. Instead, he looks at me with appreciation asking me my wish.

“Your peace.” His face falls at my confession and I wonder if I said too much, but I don’t regret telling him that truth. I wish for him to feel peace. “What was your wish?”

“I wish I could kiss you.” A giddy smile spreads across my face. I can’t help but bite my bottom lip as I look at his.

The kiss he gave me earlier today was quick and rushed, but it was magical. There was so much passion behind the short lived moment, and I want nothing more than to recreate it.

Keeping my eyes locked on his, I lean in, bringing our lips as close together as possible without touching.

Starting at my waist, he sweeps his hand up the side of my body, over my arm, to my shoulder then cups my cheek. He gently pulls me in closer as our lips collide, and I squeeze my eyes shut as I attempt to decipher a hundred sensations at once. His arm wraps around my back, pulling me closer, like our bodies are two puzzle pieces that finally found their home.

Our tongues dance together and everything feels so perfect. The sound of the lake, the wind rustling through the trees, the crickets echoing through the night. It’s a dream kiss for a girl, and when he finally pulls away so we can properly breath, my heart is fluttering, feeling so full, I swear it could explode.

He dips his forehead to mine. “Now both our wishes have come true.”

19

SEAMUS

Present Day

Using my angular brush, I swipe the mixture quickly over the canvas. As I flick my wrist, the tertiary colors blend together, making some combination of beige that reminds me of the shade of Mimi’s tank top the day I took her against the tree.

That was the first time since that I followed the out of control emotions I’ve been suppressing. I finally let them take over, completely giving in to the loss of control whenever she is near.

And it completely bit me in the ass.

The terror that blanketed her face, the fear that enveloped her body, was as blinding as the desert sun. The overwhelming sensation of confusion I’ve had since the moment I pinned her arms up, and how she responded after, has been loitering in my mind for the last few days.

There is so much more that she isn’t saying, that I don’t know, and it’s bringing me to the brink of insanity.

So, naturally, she’s ignoring me and I’m dropping flowers at her front door everyday… twice a day.

It’s not excessive. It’s persistent.

Plus, let’s be honest. I’m well past stalker-ish behavior.

My most trusted ability to read people is totally failing me when it comes to her. I’m left so goddamn confused after spending any amount of time with her, it makes my brain feel like an unsolvable Rubix cube.

Rocco is still digging up information and hasn’t found anything that makes any sense.

Usually, my daily therapeutic trips to the shooting range is what I need to feel clarity, but that’s not even working. The only thing I’ve been able to do to get my head on straight is paint.

I’m torn away from my thoughts and the gaze I had on my canvas by the knock at the front door.

I look down at myself, holding a brush in one hand and a palate in the other. My dark denim jeans hang low on my hips and a few color streaks paint my bare abs and arms. Putting the brush down, I slip my hand in my pocket to grab my phone and check my Ring app, to see Hudson is at my front door.

Shit.

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