Page 104 of Broken Pieces
Sky.
He says it like it’s his to use.
Not the way Cassie does, where she tosses it into conversations without a second thought.
This is different.
This is drawn out in a way that curls around my ribs and squeezes.
Fuck him.
He’s almost through the hatch when I blink, heart hammering way harder than it should.
I set my foot on the first rung and start climbing after him. My palms sting where I grip the metal, breath catching when I reach the top.
His hand shoots down. Fingers curling around mine, slipping slightly before they catch and hold.
He hauls me up, easy, as if I weigh nothing.
The second my feet hit the roof, I suck in a breath.
This is not what I expected at all.
The roof’s pitched, slanted at just enough of an angle to make my steps careful. Tin roof beneath my shoes. It’s quiet, dark, nothing but moonlight bleeding down over us.
Zane jerks his chin.
“Come on, it’s over here.”
I follow him, taking my time, careful not to slip.
I look up when his steps falter, and he turns back towards me. He holds out his hand to me again.
“You’ll slide in those shoes,” he says, eyes flicking down.
I hesitate for a second before sliding my hand into his.
Last time, it was quick. I was too distracted making sure I didn’t fall to notice anything else. But this…
This is different. This time when I touch his hand, I feel everything.
The rough edges of his skin. The callouses built from hours in the workshop, the way he drags his thumb across the back of my hand.
“This spot’s better,” he mutters, carefully guiding me toward the section where the roof levels out.
When we reach the spot, he drops my hand and lowers himself onto the roof, legs stretched out in front.
But the second his skin leaves mine, I fucking notice the change. I stand in place for a beat, trying to shake the reaction off, pretending this doesn’t matter, before I sit beside him.
My knees brush his for a second too long before I shift back.
Even so, my heart’s thumping.
From the climb.
From his touch… from whatever the fuck this is turning into. But his knee nudges mine again. This time, he doesn’t move away. Neither do I.
We don’t speak.
