Page 67 of Almost Ours
I shift slightly so I can see her face, reaching up to gently push a strand of hair away from her cheek.
Her breathing slows.
I look down and realize she’s asleep.
Fuck, she must’ve been exhausted.
I don’t move. I don’t even think Icanmove.
This–right here, with her asleep against me, Connor tucked between us–this is exactly where I want to be.
And maybe that makes me selfish. Maybe Harper deserves someone better, someone who isn’t carrying around the kind of shit I am.
But I don’t care.
Because right now, with both of them here, just as they are…
I don’t want to be anywhere else.
I wake up with a start,blinking against the dim glow of the kitchen light. I hadn’t even realized I fell asleep. The last thing I remember was watchingSonicwith Connor, and Harper curled up beside me, sleeping.
Now, it’s dark outside, the house quiet except for the steady hum of the fridge and the soft sound of Harper breathing against my chest.
I shift slightly, careful not to wake either of them, and reach for my phone. The screen lights up.
12:07 am.
Shit. We’ve been out for nearly twelve hours.
I exhale, rubbing a hand over my face, then move to put my phone back down when Harper stirs beside me.
“Ryan?” Her voice is soft, groggy.
“Yeah,” I answer just as quietly.
She lifts her head slightly, rubbing at her eyes. “What time is it?”
“Just after midnight.”
She lets out a breath, her head dropping back to my chest. “Oh my God. I needed that sleep.”
I smile and press a kiss to the top of her head. “Yeah, no kidding.”
She stretches a little, then glances down at Connor, still completely out, his body tucked between us. “I should get him to his own bed.”
I sit up a little. “Want me to carry him up?”
She hesitates, then shakes her head. “No.” She looks back at me, voice quieter. “I don’t want to leave him.”
I nod. “Then we stay. If you’re comfortable.”
“I am.”
She goes silent, and then I hear it–the softest little sniffle.
I look down and brush a piece of hair from her face. “Harper?”
Her eyes are squeezed shut, but tears spill from the corners anyway. She quickly wipes at them. “I’m sorry,” she says, slowly sitting up.
