Page 26

As the sunlight streams across my face, I stretch, feeling every part of my body relax. Every part except my lips. Those are still tingling from last night and as I open my eyes, a slow smile spreads across my face.

Cade and I kissed.

Correction. I kissed him. For the first time in my life, I took a risk that was worth taking. I closed the distance. I made the move, and I kissed Cade. Sweet, kind-hearted Cade, who kissed me back like I was something worth breaking every rule for.

I burrow deeper into the sheets, warmth wrapping around me as I inhale the lingering scent of him .

A tiny squeal escapes my lips as I wriggle with happiness in the bed.

Ugh. As if kissing him wasn’t enough to make me float on cloud nine, this bed is the icing on the cake.

I can’t believe I ever thought going back to my car would be possible after the first night here.

My fully charged phone buzzes on the bedside table and I reach for it, unlocking the screen.

Adley: I miss you, Sav. Are you able to talk before noon today? The foster rents are out with Naomi for her horse-riding lessons. I’d love to talk.

As if my day couldn’t get any better.

Savannah: Yes. I’ll call you in an hour. I can’t wait.

The scent of something warm and buttery drifts through the air, luring me out of bed. I pull on my sweatshirt and leggings and walk out into the kitchen, only to stop in my tracks when I see him.

Cade stands at the stove, his back to me with his white T-shirt pulled tight over his broad and muscular shoulders. My heart skips a little as I take in his dark, messy hair as he sings softly to himself, completely at ease that I’m here.

“Morning,” I say, his singing slowing so he can look over his shoulder.

“Morning, Sleeping Beauty.” His voice has this teasing warmth in it as he nods to the kitchen island, where a plate of pancakes awaits. “Breakfast is ready.”

“Breakfast?” I say as I head to the kitchen and sink onto a stool, rubbing my eyes. “This is starting to feel like Groundhog’s Day.”

He chuckles, flipping another pancake. “Gotta be honest, waking up and making you breakfast every morning sounds like a pretty solid way to start the day.”

My face flushes even though he’s not looking at me because it’s the first time he’s really flirted with me. Sure, he’s asked me out before, but this feels different because we’ve kissed now. “You’re dressed already. Have you got practice?”

“Yeah.” He moves the last pancake to the stack on the kitchen island and heads to the coffee machine, pours a cup, then sets it in front of me. “It’s not too long. Just a couple of hours.”

He leans his elbows on the counter, waffling his fingers and twiddling his thumbs. “You will be here when I get back, right? You aren’t going to run out on me again, are you?” He raises a brow and I can see the tiniest hint of a smirk coming through.

He’s being playful, and I feel like I can be too. Edging forward, I wrap my hands around the mug, letting the heat seep into my skin. “Are you sure you still want me here? Aren’t you worried I’ll steal something?” I joke, but part of me means it.

“Like my heart?” He leans closer to me. Our noses touch ever so slightly. “Too late, Sav. You took that the minute I saw you dancing like a newborn giraffe at Luke’s the first time.”

I still, my heart stopping slightly at his words. My throat goes dry, and I have no idea what to say to that. Does that mean he’s felt the same thing as I have all this time?

He leans back and throws me a lazy grin.

“Relax. I’m messing with you. Unless you’ve got some weird obsession with stick tape and plan to steal that, I think I’m safe.

” He shrugs, letting his gaze drift over me, and my skin tingles everywhere his eyes land.

“Besides, I don’t think you get it. Even if I didn’t know your license plate number by heart, I’d still find you. ”

If he weren’t delivering it with that flirty glint in his eyes, it might actually sound like a threat. I roll my eyes, biting back the smile tugging at my lips. “Wow. That’s a little creepy.”

“Like I said, Sav. You need someone to be on your side. Why can’t that be me?”

I gulp, hating how forthright he is about helping me. Even the way he’s looking at me now, like I’m someone worth saving, confuses me.

“Seriously, though,” he says, his tone softening. “Stanley could use the company today.” He tilts his head, lifting his eyebrows. “Or you could always bring him to practice and watch me.”

“Practice?” The words come out choked and surprised. “You want us to come to the rink?”

He grins. “Yeah, Stanley watches me all the time. Sometimes he’ll come out onto the ice and do a few zoomies.

” He twirls his fingers to emphasize the point.

“He even does this cute little belly bloop thing that helps him stop.” As if on cue, Stanley’s tail brushes across my leg, and I instinctively drop my hand to scratch his head.

“Be nice to have you there since you couldn’t make it to the game I invited you to. ”

It wasn’t supposed to be a dig, but as he looks at me, I can’t help but feel like it was. I blush, dropping my gaze to the steam coming off my mug.

“I’m sorry about that. I really did want to go.”

“Oh, yeah?”

I nod. “Yeah. Do you remember Chloe from last night? She found the tickets and encouraged me to go. She knew how much I—” I pause, my face flushing.

“How much you…” Cade isn’t going to let me off that easy, is he?

“I liked you.” It came out quiet, and a little less confident than I wanted it to. My cheeks are aflame now as I wait for Cade to mock me. He doesn’t, though. He just smiles softly to himself.

“Damn, if I’d known Chloe was my wing woman, I would’ve left her a bigger tip last night.” He places his hands on the counter, leaning over. “So what do you say? Let’s make up for lost time.”

“I’d love to, but I promised I’d call my sister.”

“Your sister…” His words slow as he pouts his bottom lip out, contemplating. “Adley, right?”

Hearing him say her name does something to me. It’s strange, almost intimate, the way it rolls off his tongue.

I’ve said it a million times before, whispered it into the phone late at night, written it in crumpled notebooks as I tried to plan a future for her, but hearing him say it feels different. Almost like he’s acknowledging more than just her name, and he sees the weight it carries for me.

Adley isn’t just my sister. She’s my reason. She’s my past, my present, my responsibility, and the fact that he remembers the most important person in the world to me makes me happier than it probably should.

Nodding, I say, “Yeah. We hardly ever get to talk because her foster parents monitor her calls, and they don’t really like me.”

“Why not?”

“They think I’m a little troubled, which isn’t surprising.

” It’s then all the guilt about my decisions starts to haunt me.

What if I had been smart and stayed in my dorms, saving money?

Would I be in a better position for my sister?

Even if I don’t get to give her the teen years she deserves, would it have been better to save up all that money and wait?

Cade takes my hand, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Hey, you aren’t troubled, not now I’m here.”

He looks like he means it, and I’m still having a hard time believing it.

“Wanna use my iPad to call her? That way you can FaceTime her without all the cracks getting in the way.”

“FaceTime her?”

“Isn’t that what you do right now?”

I shake my head. “No. I just call her.”

“Well, then you should definitely use my iPad. It’s just on the coffee table over there.

I only ever watch game replays on it, so we might as well test out its capabilities.

Passcode is my birthday, July 17. Do what you want on there.

It connects to the Covey Cloud app, so you can access assignments and things too. ”

“Oh, I’ll just use it for the call.”

“Like I said, Sav. I don’t care what you use it for. Just use it.”

“Are you sure?”

He nods, and I don’t even think. I just move.

Pushing out of my chair, I slip around the counter and wrap my arms around him, something that’s becoming a habit of mine.

He pulls me in without hesitation, and I melt against his solid chest, breathing him in.

It feels too good, and a little like home. Not that I’d ever admit that to him.

I try to ignore the tingly feeling in my stomach as his hand gently brushes my back, but it’s hard. It always has been when he’s around, and now that I’m spending more time with him, it’s getting worse. Cade is my literal dream come true. He’s not only gorgeous, but I feel safe when I’m around him.

“Thank you, Cade,” I say, muffled into his chest. His warmth seeps into my skin, and for a moment, I let myself exist in this space. In the steady rise and fall of his chest and the way I can feel his fingers twitching against my back.

Then I pull back just enough to meet his eyes, and I search them. Does he really understand how thankful I am? That he makes me feel like I might have a chance at being normal?

His lips part as if he’s about to say something, but I don’t let him.

I already know what I want.

Pushing up onto my tiptoes, I kiss him again.

It starts out soft like last night. Just a brush of our lips, but the second Cade exhales sharply, everything shifts.

His hands fist the fabric of my shirt, yanking me closer until our bodies are pressed together, instantly making my skin ignite.

I slide my hand up his jaw and my fingertips trace the stubble along his cheek.

The second I do, he tilts his head, deepening the kiss, and a needy sound escapes my throat.

He swallows it whole, drinking me in, devouring every breath and sigh.

I’ve never been kissed with such raw hunger like this before, and it makes me realize he’s been waiting for this as much as I have.