Page 78 of Crash
Quynh sniffed as he finished cleaning her up. The bed dipped as he climbed in next to her.
“Hey.Look at me.” His voice was soft. Gentle.
She could have easily turned away from him and pretended like she was fine. Instead, she took a deep inhale to steady her nerves and turned to face Griffin. The time for running away was over. Quynh needed to own her mistakes and make amends. She sent up a silent prayer to whoever might be listening that she didn’t completely mess everything up.
Meeting Griffin’s warm gaze, she wiped away her tears. “I’m sorry.” Her voice was hoarse, and it broke on the last word. She only hoped he heard the sincerity in her voice. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Sorry?” His face scrunched with confusion. “You’re sorry? For what?”
Quynh studied his baffled expression. He didn’t seem angry at her, which gave her the strength she needed to continue.
“For leaving you. Before talking to you. About…” Her voice trailed off.
“No.” She shrank away from him at the harsh tone. Griffin ran a hand through his hair, a sign she knew betrayed his agitation. Griffin cleared his throat. He brought his hand to cup her cheek. He turned her face to look at him as he stared down at her. “I meant…no, I’m the one who should be sorry. Not you.”
Now it was her turn to be confused. Griffin blew out a breath and collapsed on his back with a groan.
“This is not going the way I imagined it would.” He let out a self-deprecating chuckle as she sat up to look at him.
“What do you mean?”
“I came out here to apologize to you.”
“For what?”
“For…well, being an idiot, for starters.” He laughed before turning his head to look at her. “For letting you walk away thinking I had another woman in my life.”
“Oh.”
“There has been no other woman in my life since I met you.” He paused, and she watched in fascination as his cheeks became flushed.
Oh my god, is he blushing?
“There is only one woman in my life,” he finally said. “You are the only one I want in my life, Quynh.”
If she were standing, she would have swooned. Luckily, she was lying in bed. Realizing she was half-naked, she reached down to pull the blankets to cover her. She fussed with the material, needing the distraction to buy her some time to form a proper answer.
Her stomach fluttered as she tried to form a coherent sentence.
She couldn’t think of an adequate response to his statement.
Griffin’s hand covered hers, still fidgeting with the blanket, halting her movements. The warmth of hishands soaked into her cold ones. It centered her and calmed her racing thoughts. Her fingers curled around his instinctively, solidifying their connection.
Her racing heart slowed even as heat crept through her body. It’s unnerving how a simple touch could affect her so profoundly. Almost as if she was numb, her body encased in ice, until Griffin released her from the icy prison, warming not just her body but her heart and bringing her back to life.
She licked her lips. She met his eyes with determination.
“I’m scared,” she admitted in a whispered voice, worried speaking them into existence would shatter the happy bubble they constructed around themselves.
“I know.” His hand squeezed hers. “I am, too.”
He didn’t waste time giving her any platitudes. Instead, he pulled her body closer to his and tucked her head under his chin. His arm slid around her waist to cup her hip as their legs tangled together.
She lay on his chest with her ear pressed against his heart, the sound of its soothing rhythm lulling her back into a happy state. She felt safe. Secure. Loved.
Love?
Was this what being in love felt like?
