Page 33 of Until the End

Just kill me now. Snuggling in the same bed now that we’ve both admitted our feelings might be the death of me. But there’s nothing in the world that could keep me awayfrom her. “Of course. Give me a minute to get ready.” I quickly brush my teeth and use the bathroom. There’s a pack of makeup remover wipes in the drawer where I found the extra toothbrush. I grab those as well as a bottle of pain reliever and then fill a glass of water before heading back into Ginny’s room.

Sitting on the side of the bed, I brush Ginny’s hair off her forehead. “Goose, you still awake in there?”

Her lips quirk. “Barely.”

I puff out a laugh. Fair enough. I pull a wipe from the pack and warn Ginny what to expect. Then I gently swipe it across her eyes and face. Black streaks smear across her cheeks, and I keep wiping at them. It only seems to make it worse.

I pull out another wipe, continuing to clean Ginny’s face until it’s slightly pink and no trace of makeup remains. That was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

“How many wipes did you use?” she murmurs, a teasing smirk on her face.

I glance at the large pile. “Just a couple. Think you can drink some water?” Distraction at its finest.

Ginny nods, sitting up enough to drain the glass. Hopefully, she won’t feel too awful in the morning.

I clean up my mess and refill her glass. At this point, I’m well aware that I’m delaying getting into bed with her. This feels different than any other time we’ve shared a bed. The lines were clear before. We were merely friends, and if we ended up cuddling, it was no big deal because it didn’t mean anything. Well…it meant something to me, but I could push those feelings aside.

Now, the lines are muddied. I’m not sure what she expects from this. Will it be weird to cuddle with her now? Does it mean something different if I pull her into my arms while we sleep?

I’m overthinking this. I just need to let things progressnaturally. Ginny can help me reset boundaries in the morning if needed.

With my mind settled, I slide into Ginny’s bed, the sheets cool against my overheated body. I still have my T-shirt on, but I took my jeans off. There was no way I could sleep in them even if it would’ve been the proper thing to do.

Ginny slides over to my side of the bed, slinging one arm across my stomach and laying her head next to mine on my pillow. With my arm tucked between her neck and the bed, I find myself more comfortable than I imagined. I shouldn’t encourage the cuddling while she’s still half drunk, but I’ll deal with the consequences in the morning.

For now, I’ve got my girl in my arms, and there’s not a single place in the world I would rather be.

Chapter 20

Goose,

I know homecoming is still a few weeks away, but if I don’t ask now, some other idiot will instead.

Will you be my date to the dance?

It’ll be way more fun if we go together, and I don’t want to go with anyone else. I always feel like I have to be someone I’m not with other girls. You’re the only one I can be myself with.

We don’t have to dance together if that would be weird. I’m cool to hang out and watch the rest of our school make asses of themselves.

Please say yes.

—Duck

I’d love to be your date.

–Goose

Chapter 21

Ginny

My head pounds with each beat of my heart.

Dear god, I think I’m dying. Why the heck did I drink so much last night? Oh right…because my sister is an asshole. She kept egging me on, and it was too fun to say no. Okay, so I’m also to blame, but it’s way more fun to put this pain on her.

“Oh, shit.” I shoot out of bed and race into my bathroom just in time to expel the contents of my stomach into the toilet. My eyes water, and I know my makeup from yesterday is running down my face. The last thing I remember is Carson carrying me out to his car. Another body-racking heave removes whatever was left in my stomach, and I sit down on the floor of my bathroom to catch my breath.

My eyes fly open when a cool cloth is pressed to my forehead. I immediately relax into Carson’s touch. “Don’t get too close. I stink.”

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