Page 52 of A Magnolia Move-In
It had been so long since a man touched me. Kissedme. And I longed for it. More than I’d allowed myself to admit.
Spencer seemed surprised as well. His gaze lingered on mine for a moment before it traveled down to my lips. Then, as if he was suddenly snapped out of his trance, he shook his head and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs.
“It’ll change what you think of me,” he mumbled before he covered his face with his hand once more.
I studied the back of his head, the way his shoulders were slumped, and the tone of his voice which lingered in the air. He was carrying so much pain with him that it was crushing him both physically and emotionally.
I wanted to help.
So, I reached out one arm and wrapped it around his shoulders. I used my other hand to press into his nearest shoulder so I could give him a squeeze. “We all have a past,” I whispered. “It’s up to us to decide if we let that past become our future.”
One thing I’d learned from moving to Magnolia and fixing my relationship with Maggie, was that there was more in my power than not. If I wanted a different future, it was up to me to grab it.
From what I could see, Spencer had spent too much of his time lingering in what could have been. What should have been. He needed to let that go and live. He’d been holding his breath for so long that he was drowning and didn’t know it.
I wanted to help him breathe again.
He tensed at my hug before he relaxed again. Then he nodded. “Thanks.”
I gave him one last squeeze before I dropped my arms and stood. Just as I moved to leave, his voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Stay with me?”
His words sent butterflies racing through my stomach. I paused before I turned around. “What?”
His elbows were still resting on his thighs, but his gaze was focused on me. “I don’t want to be alone tonight. Stay here, with me.”
I studied him. I wanted to say yes. I did. But was I ready for this?
“No shenanigans, I swear…” He scrubbed his face before looking back up at me. “I just…don’t want to be alone tonight.”
I knew I should say no. I knew I should walk out the door, thus solidifying the distance between us. I was quickly slipping into Spencer’s world, and I had no idea what that meant for me or him.
I had no idea if I would come out of this relationship with my heart intact.
But when I parted my lips to say no, the word never left. Instead, I whispered, “Sure.”
He looked visibly relieved, and for a moment, a half-smile emerged on his lips. He nodded and then flopped onto the bed. “Perfect.”
“I’ll just go change,” I said as I pointed toward the hallway.
He grunted a response.
Knowing that I probably wasn’t going to get more from him, I made my way down the hall and into my room, where I quickly brushed my teeth and slipped into my nightgown. Then—just to be safe—I threw on my robe and tied it tightly around my waist.
Truth was, I knew he would never try anything. After all, I’d been staying with him for a few days now. It wasn’t like he lacked access. But, just to be safe, I was going to stay as covered as I could.
I washed my face and brushed my teeth. By the time I returned to Spencer’s room, he had changed into a white shirt and a pair of sweats. He was lying on top of his covers with his eyes closed and his hand resting on his stomach.
I lingered in the doorway, not sure what he wanted me to do. Should I just walk in? Knock? I felt like I needed to alert him somehow, but if he was sleeping, I didn’t want to wake him.
“You can come in,” he said.
I stared at him, wondering how he knew I was here. His eyes had remained closed the entire time I was standing here.
“When you live alone, you learn the sounds of your house. You disrupt those sounds.” He marked the end of his sentence by raising his head to meet my gaze.
Feeling stupid that I was just standing in the doorway, I stepped inside. When I got to the empty side of the bed, I waited. Was I supposed to lie on top of thecomforter like he was? Or could I crawl under the covers?
