Page 82 of Wonder

I watch as he cleans his teeth before he turns off the faucet and peels off his shirt. “What are you doing?”

Chess strides over, nudging me out of the way. “It’s our last night, Alyss. I’m already sharing you. I want to shower with you. Ideally that would involve being inside you too, but I’ll take what I can get.”

Sharing you.

“Chess.” I swallow. “You know, you and me—.”

“Forever,” he says instantly. He gestures at me to turn around, and I sigh as he runs his hands through my hair, working out the knots. “No matter what, Lyss. I’ll join a queue if I have to. Fuck knows I can’t blame them for it.”

“It’s this place,” I whisper. “Everything feels…more.”

Or maybe not. Maybe it’s justthesemen. Fuck knows I didn’t have the urge to rodeo on Bruce’s cock.

Thank god.

Chess. Hatter. Buck. Even Aiden and Kayden. They all make my heart skip a beat.

Would it be so bad?

Sighing, I close my eyes. Chess is watching me when I open them again. “You deserved so much better than me, Chess.”

I’m not talking about this sudden weird quirk in our relationship. The possible… additions.

I’ve been socoldto him. So angry—

Chess spins me, his hands landing on my face. “You listen to me. I’m convinced that every single good thing that has ever happened in my life is because you were part of it, Lyss. Youthink your grief is going to push me away? It’s not. I only ever wanted to share it, but you wouldn’t let me.”

My head lowers. He tips it up.

“I love you,” he says fiercely. “You’re my forever, Lyss. Even if we both die tomorrow, you’re always going to be my forever. Even when you’re being a brat.”

My tears mix with the water. “I love you too. Sorry I don’t say it enough. Even when you’re an asshole.”

I wrap my arms around his neck, our bodies pressing together beneath the water. Chess lifts me, his touch as familiar as breathing as he presses me back against the cool wall.

His lips move to my neck. “Is your back cold?”

“Cold?” I’m onfire. He’s always made me burn.

Chess fits against me easily, sliding in with a groan. “You feel like coming home, you know.”

I know what he means.

My teeth sink into his shoulder. “Stop it. You’re giving me the good stuff in case we die and it’s freaking me out.”

He laughs, but it sounds broken as he slides his cock out and back in, my breath catching in my chest as he stretches me. “I’ll save it for tomorrow night, then.”

He swaps his words out, distracting me with kisses. Our lips barely separate, chasing each other as he pushes in and out of me, my hips wrapped around his waist. I sink my fingers into his wet hair, holding onto him tightly.

When our lips pull away, he stares at me, water droplets flecked across his cheeks. “You okay?”

I swallow.

Adam left him too.

Adam left him, and I locked him out.

But I think I’m done locking Chess out.