Page 47 of The Hardest Fall

“I’m really scared of earthquakes,” I whispered, just in case he hadn’t noticed.

“It’s over now. We’re okay.”

“I’m really, really scared of them, Dylan. Why is the power still not back on? Did it go out because of the earthquake?” I was still whispering. Unable to stop myself, I took a step toward him. I was maybe half a step away from actually standing on his feet, my face only inches away from his chest. Me shuffling closer wasn’t a cry for a hug by any means, but when his hands dropped away from my arms and a chill took their place, I felt like a complete idiot, a complete idiot who knew she was an idiot yet still couldn’t find it in her to back away from the safety of the big guy in the room. They always said you should take cover next to strong, sturdy things, right? Well, Dylan Reed was plenty strong and sturdy.

Then I felt a big palm at the base of my spine, which pulled a quiet gasp from somewhere deep within me and caused a very small shiver to work its way through my body. His hand slowly started inching up on my back as if he wasn’t sure if holding me would be okay.

Uh…

That was enough of an answer to a question I wasn’t even thinking of asking. I didn’t wait for vocal confirmation, just buried my cheek in his rock-hard chest and held my breath. His other arm reached around me and rested on my back, a little higher than the other one, and I felt like it was okay to close my eyes. He’d make it okay.

“It was probably just a coincidence and has nothing to do with the earthquake.”

My arms were still wrapped around my stomach so when Dylan gently pulled me even closer to his body, closing that little half-step gap between us, my arms fell apart and I lifted one to rest on his chest, right next to my face and gripped his shirt at his waist with the other.

It was a little unsure, a little awkward. Fine, maybe it wasn’t so much awkward as the best hug I’d had in a while. Let’s call it the best half hug, maybe, because it wasn’t as if he was crushing the life out of me. That would’ve been the perfect hug. The embrace was pretty loose, but it was still a hug, and it was still appreciated.

And dear God, his touch was warm and strong. His cologne was different, dizzying, something warm and spicy, maybe a hint of cedar. Basically it was magic. How did he smell so good at that time of the night? Had he been on a date?

Was it too forward to hug a friend like this? If we were being honest, calling him my buddy or friend was stretching the truth a bit but was I gonna stop or back away? Nope, not a chance in hell. If this was the big one for California and the building was going to come down, I was going to be in the arms of this guy.

With our close proximity, I could hear his strong heartbeat. I tried to keep my focus on that rhythm and match my breathing to it, strong and steady.

When I had it mostly under control, I let out another deep breath. “You must think I’m crazy,” I muttered into his chest.

There was a four-second aftershock right at the tail end of my words. It was smaller than before but still noticeable. I buried my forehead in his chest and groaned.

“Shhh, it’s fine. You’re fine. It’s just a small one.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and closed my eyes tighter this time, my hand curling into a fist. His arms weren’t moving anymore, but he hadn’t let go of me either.

“And I don’t think you’re crazy. My mom is not a fan of earthquakes either.”

“Yeah? Would she jump into a stranger’s arms, too?”

His chest moved with silent laughter. “I thought we were friends. When did I turn from the best buddy to the stranger in this scenario? And to answer your question, she wouldn’t get to jump into a stranger’s arms because my dad would be right next to her, ready to catch her if she decided to faint or anything. She always clings to his hand for dear life.”

His gravelly voice helped me relax further.

“She faints?”

“Thankfully it hasn’t happened yet, but I wouldn’t put it past her. She always threatens us with it though.”

I waited a moment before I spoke again. “Scientists are expecting a mega-earthquake to hit California, right? The power is still out, and I feel like something bad is going to happen. What if this is it?”

He hummed for a few seconds, and I could feel the vibrations through his body. “Do you have any regrets? Maybe someone you’d want to ask for a kiss before an untimely demise?”