Page 34 of Raise Me Up

Fanning my cheeks, I remember I’m still very much naked. Another sweep of the bedroom, and I spot my clothes folded on the counter in the comically large bathroom. I dive for them, shaking my underwear and bra free. My clothes smell like laundry detergent, not sweat or the nuclear waste I regretfully consumed last night.

Liam must have washed my clothes.Tiny splinters wedge into my heart.

Tossing grace aside, I fumble to pull on my clothes. When I slip out of the bathroom, Beau’s propped himself up in bed. His hair is a fluffed up mess, and the sheet is tangled around his bare legs. I wish I could etch the sleepy, relaxed vision of him into my memory.

He frowns. “You okay, sweetheart?”

The question sends me into a mental spiral.Oh my god.Did I really have a threesome with Liam and someone I literally just met yesterday? How do I even process this?

Normally, a one-night stand results in me waking up in an unfamiliar empty bed with a sinking feeling in my gut. It didn’t matter who I slept with, I never woke up feeling good.

Dropping into a squat, I press the heels of my palms into my eyes.

“Stasi?” Beau repeats, his tone laced with concern.

“I might be freaking out a little,” I admit.

“Fuck.” He wastes no time jumping out of bed. “Don’t do that. I got you.”

At some point during the night, he’d slipped back into his boxers, and I’m thankful for that. I’d probably combust at the sight of him rushing toward me naked.

There’s no denying I’m attracted to Beau. He’s a heady contradiction of edgy and soft. Of mischief and sweetness.

He picks me up off the floor, arms wrapping around me tightly. I cling to him as he rocks me side-to-side. I could probably map him out on paper with how much I touched him last night. Artfully sculpted arms. Beautiful patches of vitiligo. A softer torso, perfectly comfortable to rest my hands and head on.

The man has an ass, too.

I press my ear to his heart and focus on the steady beat. He’s warm and real and wonderful.

“Tell you what. Why don’t I figure out breakfast while you take a hot shower?” He leans back to look me over. “Sound like a plan?”

He was all sinful smiles in the night, but in the daylight, I notice a hint of something sad lurking in the depths of his blue eyes. Did he drink too much last night, or is he having regrets about what we did? Is Liam? My heart sinks as I glance around and don’t see any sign of him.

Beau guides me back into the bathroom. There’s a giant porcelain soaker tub that calls to me, and a glass-enclosed shower with a strip of mosaic tile the shade of crystal blue glaciers.

I catch our reflections in the mirror. God, we look disheveled, with swollen lips, flushed skin, and messy hair.

“Where the hell is all his stuff? Can you confirm he’s human?” Beau asks, rifling through the closet.

A soft laugh bubbles out of me. It seems it’s gonna be a morning of roller coaster emotions. My brain can never let me have more than a few hours of calm.

“No, I don’t think I can,” I reply.

Beau kneels down to look through the wooden vanity. He raises a fluffy white towel like a victory flag and sets it on the counter. “I’ll leave you to it as long as you promise not to have an existential crisis on your own. That’s a group activity.”

Part of me is tempted to ask him to stay, but then I’m not entirely sure I won’t have a complete meltdown, and he didn’t sign up for that shit. I’m surprised he’s even doing this much for me. We barely know each other.

“Stasi?” Brows furrowing, he lifts a hand to my cheek.

I give him a nod. “Yeah. Thank you.”

After pinching my chin, he pecks a kiss to my forehead, and my heart swoops down into my stomach.

So, I definitely didn’t imagine this crush.

But what do Idowith it? I don’t even know where Beau came from or why he’s here. He could be trying to win over Liam, and I’m getting in the way.

Would I prefer being kicked to the curb now? Or do I want to hang around long enough for the inevitable, crushing rejection?