Page 129 of Till The Sun Dies (Checkmate 2)

“Mm.” I lean back into his side and finally give into the pull of closing my eyes. When I cut off one sense, the others heighten, so now I hear his music better, I feel his strength beside me, I smell the ocean and his musky scent. “She said even if I don’t feel like smiling, I should do it anyway.Just smile, Laine. Move those lips and smile. Eventually, your body will catch on, and what may be a devastating moment could be downgraded to a mere annoyance.”

“Is that not something akin to denial?” He laughs softly. “She’s selling you denial?”

“No.” Bravely, I loop my arm in his until I hug it against my chest. “She never said I wasn’t allowed to think of the things that hurt me. She never said I wasn’t allowed to have a bad day. She simply suggested on those bad days to try and smile, too. Look into the eyes of the monster and smile.”

“Did it help?”

“I guess. Maybe. I cry less often now. I’m here, rather than at home in a hoodie that nearly kills me from heat. And smiling feels good, so why not, ya know?”

The song trails off, but he simply follows it with something new. Something soft and magical. “I know what you mean. I love seeing your smile.”

“You do?”

“Of course. It lifts your cheeks until they almost squish your eyes closed.”

I sway to his music and laugh under my breath. “Shut up.”

“I’m not kidding.” He bends his neck and rests his ear on top of my head. “It makes me happy when you’re happy. Like you said; you don’t have a single childhood memory without the band. Well… I don’t have a single childhood memory that doesn’t include you. I like knowing that you’re happy.”

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