Page 56 of Awestruck at Dusk
“Yeah. Does it bother you?”
“Why would it? It’s your ass. You can do whatever you want with it.” I did think it was kind of awful that anyone could see him naked. I’d only glimpsed at his perfect behind at the hospital, and yeah, he didn’t need a double.
Annoying.
But it shouldn’t have been a concern of mine, and it certainly wasn’t my business.
“Can I? Do whatever I want with my ass?” He tilted his head again and shot a taunting side-smile at me, the kind that used to get on my nerves. It still affected me. But it was different now.
“Your ass, your call,” I said with a laugh, taking a few more seconds to answer than I should’ve.
“I kinda like it when you tell me what I can and cannot do, though,” he said, standing up straight, displaying the full, powerful length of his body.
“How did we end up talking about asses?” I said, unable to withhold a smile.
“I needed to get you out of your head. To change the mood,” he said, taking one step forward. “To get you to come back inside.”
I heard a buzz, and William pulled his cellphone out of his pocket.
“Cheater!” I said as he took the call with a grin. There were no phones allowed at the party, but again, when did William ever follow the rules?
“Hey man…I know,” he said, sweeping me with his gaze. “Thanks, yeah…We’ll be there in a minute…Not a literal minute, no…How about I call you back and make that your cue…Thanks again.”
William ended the call and said, “I’ve got party planning perks,” and tucked his phone back inside his pocket.
“I’m afraid to go back inside now. What are you up to?” I said, feeling a warm, relaxing sensation flowing through my veins.
I was now officially operating inpresentmode and not thinking about Caleb anymore or worrying about things that most of the time don’t even end up happening like I usually did.Thiswas the ultimate goal for the night, and I’d achieved it. Thanks to William.
“I’m ready,” I told him.
“You say that now.” He laughed a funny evil laugh and herded me back to the kitchen. “Wait,” he said, just before we stepped inside. “Look up.”
“Crescent moon,” I replied, looking up. “I can’t tell what kind, though. Is it—”
“Waning crescent.” William bit his lower lip with a smile and pulled me back inside.
“Shit,” I said, looking at my watch as we walked through the kitchen. “I’ve been out here for an hour.”
“My point exactly,” he said, rushing. “We have three minutes before eleven, and wehaveto go back.”
“Wait.” I pulled him to make him stop. I could feel the muscles in his arms tensing up, so I released him from my grasp.
He looked down at me, and his eyes widened for a second.
“Yes?”
“Where’s that bottle of wine you refilled me with?”
He snorted. “I think you’ve had enough.”
Maybe. But all I wanted was to keep myself in that sweet spot—the eternal present. I feared that if I stopped drinking, that feeling would go away.
But you know how sometimes you’re standing in front of that thin, blurry line, and youknowif you takeonemore drop of alcohol, you’ll cross it, and it’s game over?
Well I didn’t. But this night surely taught me that.
“You’ll pour more wine into my glass,” I said, waving a hand at him.
