Page 24 of Sweethearts and Savages
Layla’s voice telling me to let myself live played in my head, so I launched myself at Enit awkwardly, grabbing her face and kissing her. She let out a shocked squeak, kissing me back as I pressed her further into her room.
Her hands clung to my arms as she tripped backwards, falling. And I fell with her. At least, I did until hands reached out and grabbed me, pulling me back up straight.
I looked up into the face of a smiling Bohdie. “What’s up, Doc? Glad you came to your senses.”
He kissed the top of Enit’s head and left, shutting the door behind him. I could hear him whistling happily in the hall.
Enit grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the bed, the only real piece of furniture in the room.
The tinkling sound of Enit’s laughter had me turning toward her. “Don’t look at the bed like it’s about to eat you, or like I’m about to eat you. I just thought we should talk.”
Oh yeah. Talk. That was probably a good idea. She sat down and patted the bed beside her, her face shining and beautiful.
Yeah, I loved her too, whether it was the right thing or not. I wouldn’t tell her that—it was way too soon—but I knew in my soul that I loved her. Had always loved her.
Now I just needed to make her love me too.
11
Enit
My lips still tingled from Stace’s surprise kiss. Not what I thought was going to happen when I opened the door, her anxiety from the other side making my Omega wolf whine. I was just going to console her, tell her I understood that she didn’t want to start anything between us, and send her on her way.
That wasn’t how it happened, obviously. Instead, she was now sitting ramrod straight beside me, smelling of anxiety and that slightly chemical smell that clung to her from being in the lab. I was silent, knowing that Stace liked to work her way through her own thoughts before she voiced them. It was part of the reason she was teased so much when we were kids. People thought she was snooty because she wouldn’t answer them when they asked her questions. They thought she was stuck-up, but really, she was just processing, going through all the variables before coming up with the answer needed. If they’d spent just a few more minutes with her, they would have known too how amazing she was. Brilliant beyond anyone's understanding. Sweet in her own way.
I could still taste her on my lips. I wanted to do it again, but I held back. She chewed on her lip, and then looked at me, her big dark eyes staring at me like I was a bug under a slide. Like she couldn’t quite work me out.
I liked being Stacey’s enigma.
She cleared her throat and looked at the opposite wall. “When you were thirteen, and I was twelve, Christopher got into a fight with Kingston. We’d been on the other side of the campus, and you cocked your head to the side and started running. I followed along behind you, running as fast as I could but still much slower than you. I tripped, scraped up my knees real bad. Do you remember?”
I nodded. It had been one of many fights between King and Christopher, until they came to an uneasy truce in junior year. They were both strong Alphas, both incredibly stubborn. Way too alike to ever get along.
“Well, when I got there, you were standing between these two pubescent Alphas. I mean, they may have been thirteen but they were still nearly six feet tall and twice your body mass. You had a single hand on each of their chests and were murmuring something to them. In that moment, I realized how powerful you were. You could stop wars.”
I snorted a laugh. “I promise you it wasn’t that dramatic.”
She waved me away. “Anyway, you looked over, and saw me standing there with two bleeding knees. You just dropped your hands, running straight over to me and making a big deal about the fact I was bleeding. You went against your Omega instincts to tend to me.” She turned, meeting my eyes briefly. “It was that moment that I realized I might love you one day. It took a few more years before I could actually categorize the feeling.”
My heart stuttered to a stop. I knew what she was saying, but I was frozen. I couldn’t even think about it; I wasn’t ready to think about it. Stacey just looked at me with her appraising eyes, and then turned away again.
“I don’t want you to pretend you feel the same way. I know you probably don’t. But I would very much appreciate the chance to show you. And maybe, one day in the future, you might love me back. I can’t, uh, promise you wild sexual relations, or even good emotional support. But I promise, I will never feel about another living being the way I feel about you.”
I had no words. No “me too” that would make this a Hallmark moment. Not because I didn’t think I could love Stacey like that, I definitely could, but I was cautious. If I gave away too much of my heart, would I survive if it broke?
So instead, I leaned forward, kissing her softly. “I’d be honored if you’d be my girlfriend.”
She smiled at me then, a smile that consumed her entire face, and it was so rare that I didn’t even blink so I wouldn’t miss a second. I smiled back, and pulled her into my arms, wrapping her up against my body. Mainly so I didn’t have to see that smile fade when I brought up our very first relationship hurdle—in the first ten seconds. That had to be a record, right?
“About Bohdie…” I started.
She pulled back, taking my cheeks in her hands. “I like the Alpha. He is kind and you smile more when he’s around. What he can give you is visceral and emotional. He can give you what I can’t, and I don’t just mean a penis.”
“Stacey!” I gasped, and she smiled at me smugly. But that smile slowly faded.
“I don’t offer you anything really, but I hope you’ll still have me.”
I frowned. “What do you mean? You have a lot to offer, Stace. You’re as nurturing as you are challenging.” She snorted. “I mean it. You are so sweet with your siblings. You are compassionate, clear-headed, and so soft. Except your brain. That is a weapon. You’re brilliant. Devoted. And so very, very beautiful.”
