Page 141 of As They Are
“Wren,” I managed to say. “What’re you doing?”
There wasn’t a response. I sat up on my forearms, barely able to make out her face. Her eyes were closed, and when I put a hand on her cheek, she didn’t respond.
She wasasleep.Asleep and grinding against me.
I grabbed her hip to still her, head swimming from the friction alone.
“Wren, buttercup. Wake up.” I tightened my hand. She didn’t stop.“Wren.”My voice was louder, bordering on desperate.
“Huh?” she said, her voice low with sleep. “What’s happening?”
“You must have been having averygood dream, and it woke me up.”
“Shit. I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be. This is an incredibleway to wake up.”
“I tried to stay in my space, but I guess my brain did its own thing in my sleep.”
I buried my face in her neck, picturing what it would feel like to be inside of her again. The thought of her pussy quivering around me was almost enough to make me say yes.
But I didn’t. We were in my mother’s house. In a bed I’d grown up in. I’d already made so many mistakes with her. I was letting her get way too close. Even sleeping in the same bed was pushing it, no matter how much I wanted it.
And as tempting as it was, she was leaving. We’d go from seeing each other every day to only seeing each other when she visited Mollie.
If I went down this road where she was in every part of my life, it would never be enough.
My spiraling thoughts were interrupted as I felt her shift against me once more.
“Wren, Ican’t.Not here.”
She stilled, going silent. It killed me to tell her no, but it was the right choice.
“Okay.” Her voice was quiet. “I get it.”
“When we’re back, I’ll make it up to you.”
“We do have a library desk calling our name.”
The thought made me have to resist the urge to press into her again. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. There are some rules that shouldn’t be broken.” She angled her hips away. “Do you want me to sleep on the floor?”
“No.” The words were immediate. “No, please stay here.”
“I can’t complain about that. You’re not a bad cuddler.”
I huffed out a breath, tightening my arms around her midsection. “You’re better than any pillow.”
“Happy to be of service,” she said before yawning. She fell asleep not too long after, and I lay awake, wondering if I’d made the right decision.
I woke up alone with the sun streaming through the curtains onto my face. I blinked with a groan. Mom never let me sleep in this late. She always woke me when she got up for the day, usually insisting that we spend time together before I left. I put on my glasses and slowly climbed out of bed.
The earplugs were still on the nightstand. It was tempting to say I didn’t need them, but they helpedso much.
I’d always prided myself on acting normal, on hiding the things I struggled with every day.
But I didn’t realize how much easier life could be if I allowed myself to have just a little help.
