Page 106 of Lovestruck at Sundown
William threw his head back on the mattress and sighed with frustration.
“William?” I crossed my arms at my chest and saw him bracing his elbows on the bed to lift himself. “Go shower and get dressed.” I pointed at the bathroom to piss him off with my bossiness, which he loved.
“I’m giving you to the count of three to leave this room, or I’ll hold you captive until I’m done fucking the sass out of you.”
I laughed.
“One …” William stood.
“Oh, shit!” He was serious.
“Two …”
Spinning on my heel without a second thought, I made a run for it a wink before William said, “Three.” Squealing, I shut the bedroom door in his face before he could get ahold of me. I leaned back against the door to catch my breath from the sudden and intense sprint, unable to brush the stupid smile off my face.
It hit me at that specific moment how crazy I was for William. Not that I didn’t already know, but the feeling filled every part of my chest. It was almost overwhelming. Terrifying too. Our relationship wasn’t perfect, but it felt perfect for me. And for some reason, I’d grown accustomed to losing the things I loved the most.
I swallowed past the dread that started creeping around my spine and focused back on the memory of the way he looked at me inside his bedroom.Ourbedroom, as William insisted I callit. I’d never felt this whole before, yet a small, irrational, insecure part of me found this happiness deceitful. It was as if I was still waiting for the other shoe to inevitably drop, as all good things in my life did eventually.
Losing Mom.
Losing Caleb.
Losing the idea of a father I probably never had and only existed inside my head.
The thought of losing William made my knees feel weak. I’d already experienced that mind-numbing fear when Thomas shot him. But even the thought of losing him in a symbolic way seemed unbearable.
Everything was all right. There was nothing to fear or dread. All I needed to do was maintain myself in the present moment.
Say that louder for my anxiety in the back.
Easier said than done.
Lily and Joel’s door opened, and it helped me snap out of my self-destructive train of thought. They stepped out looking fantastic, as expected.
“Hey, Billie!” Lily said with a smile. She was wearing a gorgeous burgundy dress that fell below the knee and had a plunging but elegant V-neckline, plus she’d done her lips to match.
“You look stunning, Lily!” I said, walking over to where they stood outside their door.And happy. But I didn’t say it, fearing I would ruin the great spirit with which they had stepped out of their room. Joel ran a hand around her waist and smiled. It was evident that they had talked things through, so it was best to let it be.
Lily returned the praise and gushed over my dress, which William had bought and chosen for me to wear for this precise occasion. And then the three of us walked down the stairs to find Aaron, punctual as always, standing by the window, watchingthe snow fall in thick blankets across the glass.
Aaron was wearing a dark blue suit and a white button-down shirt with a few buttons undone and no tie. He looked great. Different. Even if it was still a suit, the laid-back style made him look less intimidating and more approachable.
Joel offered us wine, and Lily and I accepted. Aaron said he would only have one with dinner since he was still on duty.
“Aaron, we both know today counts as a day off,” I said. “We are safe here, so feel free to relax and have some wine.”
“Fine,” he said with a grunt. “I’ll have two glasses of wine tonight. One right now. One with dinner.”
“You can’t skip the mandatory champagne at midnight.” I grinned. Joel gave Lily, Aaron, and me our wine glasses, and we thanked him. “So that’ll be three at least.”
Aaron laughed. “Akshan.”
“Wait, I know that one!” I snapped my fingers twice. “Ah! Caleb used to mutter that word when he was frustrated. I know this word.”
“Oh, I’m sure he did.” Aaron smiled and took a sip, but his smile vanished as he stared at something, or rather,someonecoming down the stairs.
“Stubborn,” Naomi said, her black, pointy pumps clicking with every step she took. “Akshan means stubborn.”
