Fake Friends - Saxon James Page 0,79
sound is soothing and makes me feel all warm inside. He lifts his hand and starts to stroke his fingers through my hair, and my eyes fall closed. It’s nice. Peaceful.
“In high school, would you ever, in a million years, have thought we’d end up like this?” I ask.
“Yes.”
His certainty makes me sit up. “What?”
“I dunno.” He looks a little uncomfortable, but there’s a cute smile trying to pull up his lips. “I used to think about it all the time. You coming out and telling me how you felt. Us doing college together or you taking over the diner while I worked out what to do with my life. Us traveling. Us here, just … living.” He wrinkles his nose. “Now tell me, on a scale of one to never, how much should I have not just spilled all that?”
“It was ridiculously sappy. So I’d say a hard seven.”
Circus groans and buries his face in one hand, but I hurry to pull it away. “Nope, not done trying to stuff my emotions back away.”
I bark out a laugh. “Dude, I have literally cried all over you after sex. I don’t think there’s anything you could do or say at this point to top that.”
“True. That was pretty embarrassing for you.”
I twist his nipple, and he lets out a yelp. “You make me feel safe enough to be vulnerable.”
“Oooh, that was a strong eight.”
“And I think about you always.”
“We’re approaching a nine …”
“You make it easy to be myself.”
“Abort, abort.”
I shut him up with a kiss. “And I never want to know what it’s like without you in my life again. You’re easily the greatest person I’ve ever met, and you’re pretty good in bed too.”
He slumps. “You killed me with a ten.”
“I’ll give you tens every day.”
He breathes out a laugh and runs his fingers down my cheek. “I was offered a movie role.”
“What? That’s—”
“Not what I want.”
“But I thought …”
“Yeah, at one time it might have been right. But not anymore. I already messaged Preston to decline.”
I glance at his phone. “How isn’t he ringing nonstop by now?”
“I turned my phone off.”
“You? Disconnected from technology?”
“I’m going to make an effort to be a little less intense about it. I mean, I have all the money I could ever need, and with you here, I don’t know … I sort of want to do something else. Maybe. I’m not really sure yet, but I don’t want to give it all up completely. I enjoy it. I just sort of want to get fulfillment from other areas too.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Or stupid?”
“Nope. Just solidly amazing.”
I’m sure some part of Circus is turning the movie thing down because of me, and maybe I should feel bad about that, but if he’s looking to start life outside of the virtual one he’s created for himself, I’m here for it.
I’ll support him in any way he needs, and I know he’ll do the same for me. He always has.
And that’s why, even after only a few months back in each other’s lives, I know I’ll do whatever I can to make him happy.
We fit.
And we’ll keep helping each other fight off our doubts and the dark thoughts that try to take over.
Because no matter what, I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in my life.
And I have a feeling the best hasn’t even hit yet.
The Summer Nights Festival is easily my favorite Sunbury event. The warm night air smells like apples and peaches from the fruit stalls up and down O’Connell Road, and the strings of brightly colored bulbs hanging over the street wash everything in rainbow shades.
I turn from the window and look around at what, a couple of weeks ago, was an empty storefront and smile at how far it’s come in the short time.
Arms circle my waist as Rowan presses a hard kiss just behind my ear.
He holds a churro up in front of me. “I bought you food.”
“Mmm, sustenance.”
“Enjoy the sugar while you can. Once the gym is ready, our eating plan starts.”
Joke’s on him. I’m looking forward to eating healthy.
And working out here.
We were lucky that Leon was able to squeeze in the shop before he’s contracted to start the huge shopping complex construction in Port Welling. But some days I do feel bad because he’s starting to look tired.
“Okay, plumbing should be fitted next week,” Leon calls as he appears from out the back. “Then we’ve just got to tile and polish everything up and you should be good