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“Can you join me?” Alice asked. “I missed you last night. I didn’t like being alone again. You don’t have to go to sleep. I want you to hold me until I do.”

Hugo turned off the TV and tossed the remote onto the couch. He stood up, careful not to knock the wineglass and bottle off the coffee table. He approached her with soft steps. His chest puffed out and shoulders drawn back. He placed a hand behind her, pinning her close to the wall. Alice’s heart fluttered. She wanted to linger in this moment. He leaned in as if he was going to kiss her, but swept her legs out from under her.

The sudden movement startled Alice, causing her breath to catch in her throat. Instead of falling to the floor, she fell into the safe embrace of Hugo’s other arm caressing her torso. She wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself. They locked eyes, never wavering. He lifted her and carried her up the winding stairs. Their intimate connection strengthened with each step toward the sanctuary of their bed. Their hearts synchronized as if they beat as one.

With Alice cradled safely in his strong arms, Hugo approached the bed with his footsteps echoing softly off the wooden floor. She snapped her fingers, and the covers pulled back. She released her grip around Hugo as he set her on the side of the canopy bed withcare. Her feet dangled over the edge. Their eyes never strayed from each other.

Alice began removing the sweatshirt, but Hugo stopped her. His fingers worked their way under the dark gray material. His fingertips glided across the softness of her skin. Alice flinched at the coolness of his touch tracing an invisible line up her body. They grazed her cropped tank top. He picked up each finger and tapped down with tenderness, like a jazz singer playing an instrument to Alice’s soul.

He played the soulful notes up Alice’s sides. She closed her eyes, wanting to wrap herself fully in the electric sensation of his touch. To let her soul be enveloped in the unheard symphony. She tilted her head and arched her back. With no words spoken, only their rhythmic breathing, she raised her arms to allow him to remove a barrier between each other. Goosebumps formed on her arms as they were bathed in the chill of the nighttime air.

Hugo’s hands caressed the small of her back. She arched further, letting out a slight moan. His fingertips caught the elastic band of her leggings. She lowered her arms and lifted herself off the mattress. He pulled the leggings down her hips to expose her matching underwear.

He peeled back the spandex, never rushing. She lingered in anticipation. Her body wanted it to hurry, but her soul wanted it to last forever. He pulled them off and tossed them aside. Another article of clothing removed, shrinking away her protective layer and revealing her raw beauty underneath.

His hands wrapped around her ankles with a gentle touch. He lifted them onto the bed. Alice fell to her side and into the soft embrace of her pillow. Hugo removed his sweatpants and jogged around to the other side. He slid into bed beside her, laying side by side. Working one arm under her neck, he draped the other over her, pulling her closer. Their bodies intertwined.

Alice snapped her fingers, and the lights turned off. She snapped again, and the covers flew over them. They stopped as soon as they covered their shoulders; the unseen force tucked them in safe andsound. His warm breath tickled her neck. She wrapped herself in the embrace of Hugo and their shared bed. Their souls became united in love. Their essence transcended time and space as they melded together into a perfect fit.

“Are you sure you want me this close to your neck?” Hugo asked jokingly.

“Shut up,” Alice said. “Don’t ruin this for me.” Alice wiggled, pushing herself deep into Hugo’s embrace, not wanting any space between their entwined bodies.

“Umm . . . If you keep wiggling, I think I’ll end up ruining this for both of us. I’m beyond being charged up at the moment.”

“Oh yeah?” Alice asked as she pressed deeper against Hugo’s groin. His body flinched and tightened.

“Please stop or I’ll have no choice other than to roll you over and really show you what this new body can do,” Hugo replied.

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

“Both.”

Alice smiled. “Fine.”

They laid in silence, listening to each other’s bodies. Alice lost track of time, unsure if minutes or hours had slipped away. She didn’t care. They were together, and Hugo’s loving embrace provided her with comfort and safety.

Alice shut her eyes. “Hugo,” she said. “Lie to me.”

“Lie to you?”

“Yeah. Lie to me. Tell me everything is going to be okay.”

“It’ll be okay.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

They chuckled.

“How so?”

“Because we know it’s a lie,” Alice answered.

Hugo brushed Alice’s hair behind her ear. He kissed the back of her head. “Do you want to know what I used to tell Elizabeth?”

“Yes.”

“I used to tell her all the time we would beat it. That everythingwould be fine. But you know what? We both knew it was a lie. We both knew the outcome. And you might think we lost. If you asked me at the time, I would’ve said yes. But now . . . now I know we didn’t lose. We won. We beat it.”