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SO THIS IS THIRTEEN?

Lizzie

JUNE 9, 2001

“I LOVE HOW YOU NEVER TAKE THIS OFF ,” H UGH SAID, FINGERS PLAYING WITH THE charms of my ankle bracelet while we lazed on my bed in a top-and-tail position. “It feels like I’m branded on you.”

“You are,” I replied, sliding my other foot under his T-shirt. “And I’ll never stop wearing it.”

“Never?”

“I’ll be buried in this thing,” I vowed, dangling my foot in front of his face and making the charms jingle. “Thank you for my new charm.” I eyed the latest addition—an infinity charm—and smiled. “I love it.”

Propped up against my headboard, Hugh smiled back at me. “You’re welcome.”

Resting my bracelet-clad foot on his shoulder, I exhaled a contented sigh. “So this is thirteen.”

“Yep,” he mused, while stroking my calf absentmindedly. “Fairly underwhelming, isn’t it?”

Everything about life was underwhelming. Hugh was the only exception to the rule, and I was pleased to level up with him once again. “Hey, Hugh?”

“Yeah, Liz?”

“Can we kiss?”

His hand stilled on my leg, and he gave me a strange look. “Yeah.” His tone was gruff. “Of course we can.”

“Good,” I breathed, flopping onto my back and letting my legs fall on either side of his body. “Because you haven’t kissed me in a while.”

“Not because I haven’t wanted to.” Pulling up on his knees, Hugh moved into position, hovering above me. “I always want to.” Heated, brown eyes locked on mine. “But you’ve had a hard few months.” Resting his weight on one elbow, Hugh leaned in close and stroked my nose with his. “And I didn’t want to make it worse.”

“You’re the only thing that makes it better.” Reaching up, I cupped his jaw and pulled his face to mine.

His lips touched mine, slowly at first, before the growing ache thrummed and pushed us forward.

Kissing him with a desperation I couldn’t explain, I pulled and tugged and yanked at every spare inch of his skin, desperate to feel more.

More .

More .

More!

The moment his fingers grazed my shoulder, a prickling sensation spread all over my skin.

Grabbing his hand, I tried to move it lower, but he kept returning to my waist.

Didn’t he understand what I wanted?

How badly I needed to feel his body on mine?

When I grabbed his hand and pressed it to my chest once more, Hugh groaned into my mouth, and it was the best noise I’d ever heard in my life.

“Liz,” he moaned into my mouth, moving his hand from my chest to my hip. “We should slow down.”

“No.” Too lost in my feelings, I continued to pull and tug his back, needing to feel him all over. Needing his touch to force out the bad ones. “I want you.”

“No, Liz.” Breaking our kiss, he pulled back to look at me, breathing uneven. “We can’t do things like that yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because we’re not ready.”

Tears filled my eyes, and I choked out a pained sob. “I wish I could get you to understand.”

“Then tell me,” he urged. “I’m here, Liz. I’m always listening.”

I knew he was, and that broke my heart a little bit more because I didn’t want him to see and run.

To turn away from me.

To think I was dirty and tainted.

Because I was supposed to be his.

I belonged to him, but a part of me had been stolen.

And I needed him to put it back for me.