Page 106

“Call it what you want.” Her plump lips part, and her voice comes out shaky. “You have no idea how hard I’ve tried tohateyou. Fuck, I was so close. I’d almost convinced myself you really were my enemy.”
“I was,” I admit. “Purposely.”
She chuckles. “I should kick your ass. The harder I pushed youaway, the more I wanted you. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?”
“Coincidentally, yes.” A small, amused smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. “Funny how that works, isn’t it? It’s almost like we have no fucking control over what we want.”
She laughs. It’s bittersweet and beautiful. “Now that I think about it, you’ve always enjoyed tormenting me. Even when we were kids.”
“Youalwaysstarted it. I just ended it,” I tease.
Her thumb grazes my jawline. “This doesn’t feel real.”
“It doesn’t,” I say, my voice growing serious. “If it’s a dream, I don’t want to wake up.”
“I don’t either,” she whispers.
Billie’s lips paint against mine, testing the waters. A nervous energy bubbles beneath her touch. I deepen the kiss gently, encouragingly, feeling her body relax and melt into mine.
“I’m scared,” she whispers against my lips.
“Don’t be,” I say, pulling away. “I’ll catch you if you fall.”
Lightning crashes and causes us both to jump, pulling us momentarily apart. We glance toward the sky as rain slams down on us. Dark clouds are overhead, and I watch Billie bite her bottom lip.
“Come on,” I say, grabbing her hand and leading her inside.
Droplets of water are on our faces as we stand in my bedroom upstairs.
“I hate sea storms. They’re always more violent.” A wave of nervousness is in her voice.
“No matter how bad it gets, italwayspasses,” I reassure her, taking her hand as lightning strikes again. This time closer. “Come on. Let’s move away from the windows. I don’t want Brody killing me.”
The lights flicker as we move out of my room and down the stairs. Billie releases a sigh of relief, and immediately after, the house power cuts, and we stand in darkness. The buzzing ofappliances stops, and it’s complete silence other than the gusting wind outside.
Billie inhales sharply, gripping my arm tightly. “Please don’t leave me.”
“I’m here. You’re safe,” I say calmly, pulling her closer. “The backup generator should come on at any second. I’ve got you.”
We wait in the dark.
Lightning brightens the room for a few seconds as the thunder rolls. I impatiently wait for the electricity to click on, but nothing happens.
She breathes a little harder. “It isn’t working.”
I wrap an arm around her waist. “I guess not, but we’ll make the best of it. I won’t let you go. Come with me.”
I carefully guide her through the living room and back into the kitchen, grabbing candles from the cabinets and drawers. I light the gas stove, and it brightens the room. Once I have a long candlestick lit, I catch the other wicks. Within moments, warmth flickers throughout the space, our shadows dancing across the walls.
We move to the living room, setting them around the room. Billie smiles at me, then kneels by the fireplace, arranging logs and kindling. The fire quickly sparks to life, casting a golden glow across her face.
“Girl Scout?” I ask.
“No, tactical survival courses,” she says.
“Oh, it’s like that?”
She nods. “I can take you down in ten seconds flat.”