Page 68 of Dream Chaser
“I can’t let my little crew of cleaners get bored or go hungry. They’ll take care of that.”
“And all your besties are?—”
He looks at his watch. “Gonna guess balls deep in your besties.”
I roll my eyes so hard I almost sprain something. “Classy.”
Skinner just grins, unbothered, as he flops down on the bed like he owns it now. “You know that’s straight truth.”
I toss a pillow at his face. He catches it one-handed, smirking.Of course he does.
“Seriously, though,” I say, pulling the closet door closed and leaning against it, “why are you still here?”
He props his arms behind his head, biceps flexing against my poor, unsuspecting sanity. “Because I want to be.”
“That’s not an answer,” I counter, voice softer now.
“It is,” he says, watching me. “Guessing you’re just not used to hearing it from someone who means it.”
That lands somewhere deep. Too deep.
I shove it aside and cross to the window again, watching the snow swirl past the glass like it’s got nowhere better to be either.
Skinner’s voice drifts from behind me, low and rough around the edges. “You don’t have to freak out. I know I’m leaving soon. I’m not trying to plant a flag here.”
I spin to face him. “Then whatareyou trying to do?”
He sits up slowly, elbows on his knees, and holds my gaze with a kind of honesty that should come with a warning label. “I’m trying to show up. For you. In the ways I can, while I can.”
I stare at him, breath caught somewhere between panic and something a whole lot worse.
Hope.
“Dammit,” I mutter, mostly to myself.
“What?”
“You’re being perfect, and chill, and hot,andyou brought me pie. It’s very inconvenient.”
His grin turns crooked. “I can be less hot. Just give me twenty minutes and a bad haircut.”
“Don’t you dare,” I gasp, shocking myself.
He stands and walks over, stopping just in front of me. “You want me to go?”
I don’t answer right away. Because the truth is, I don’t.
“I lied to my girls; told them I wasn’t staying tonight. And before you say anything, I know it was a shit thing to do, but my point is, I have people who show up.”
“Then you, Izzy Ross, are blessed. You have something …” He pauses, and for a brief second, I seepain? “You have a big, beautiful family. Me? I have Grand.” He holds up one finger.
“No cousins? No?—”
He stops me by placing a finger over my mouth.
“I have teammates, my …” He pauses for a bit and chuckles.
“What?” I ask.
