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“I’m sorry,” I start us off since it doesn’t seem like he wants to talk anymore. If I try this feelings shit with him, I need to make an effort. “I have trouble processing when other people are around. I took it out on you, and it was wrong.”

His eyes have opened wide as he stares at me in shock.

“It has nothing to do with you,” I lean forward and run my fingers over his temples.

“It doesn’t mean I don’t need something like this,” I gesture at his head in my lap. “It just means that I didn’t need it right then. Do you think we could come up with acode word or something when we need each other to back off?”

“How about, ‘Hey, back off’?” his lips turn from a surprised O shape to a smirk.

“Seems like too many words,” I tease him with my wobbling smile.

“Get your butt out of here?”

“Still too many words. You’re horrible at this.”

We settle into silence. He closes his eyes again, and I massage his temples while I space out.

“We can’t stay here all day,” I whisper when I tune back in, and he seems like he’s about to fall asleep.

“Why not?” He grumbles deep in his chest to show his irritation.

“Because we’re both better, and I have things I need to do. Will you go with me?” I feel vulnerable as I ask, opening up insecurities that never get said out loud.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he smiles, and his eyes focus on mine.

There’s a frozen moment as we look at each other, me a little frightened and him pleased. I feel like I should lean down and kiss him, but… I ruin it.

“It should be bananas,” I blurt without conscious thought.

He chews the piercing in his bottom lip, which he only does when he’s stressed or wants to laugh but is fighting it. Three guesses which it is this time.

“Or bread pudding,” I insist on extending my embarrassment.

His lips start curling up despite his firm hold on the piercing.

“Steak?”

“Are you hungry, baby?” He says the words jokingly, but the tone is more seductive than teasing.

I swallow hard as my eyes widen and my body reacts. My skin heats, and I can suddenly feel my pulse throbbing in my throat.

His lower lip is wet where he was biting it, and I can’t take my eyes away from it. I lick my own lip in an unconscious response, and his breath hitches.

My eyes trail down his body and stop where the towel is slowly beginning to rise up. My lips twitch as my eyes go back to his.

“I could eat,” I begin to lean down and whisper, “I find it better to pace myself, though.”

I force myself to a stand and grin down at his surprised face. His head falls back to the bedding as I skip over the cushions to sashay to the door, feeling good about teasing him back.I pause to look back at him with a grin. “You should get dressed, sunshine.” Then I walk out.

Before I close the door, I faintly hear him say, “Pushy and obvious, how could I forget…”

20. Hey Tomorrow

Once the door closes, my flirtatious mood dissipates. People will have questions for me, and I don’t want to answer them. I’ll have to, though. For the missing, if nothing else.

To stall, I open the hidden cubby across from Ben’s room and grab a pillow. He is seriously obsessed with the damn things. A blanket, a towel, and a bar of soap. I check to make sure it doesn’t smell like Ben’s because, for some reason, the thought of Mike smelling like him bothers me. Nope, it’s plain soap. I guess for emergencies like this one.

I go directly to the door Mike is hiding behind, trying to ignore the people at the table, and tap lightly. When he doesn’t respond, I open the door. For some reason, it freaks me out that he didn’t answer. Did he take the opportunity to get out of here while he still could?