Fighting Silence (On the Ropes #1)(14)

His eyes lit for a split second before dimming completely. “Yeah. I’m sure. Did you know that that new apartment of yours is five miles from here? That’s one hell of a daily hike for two people who don’t have a car,” he smarted off before turning back toward the window.

“So what? I’m moving closer to my college, five miles away. It’s not like I’m moving across the country. I’m fully expecting you to help me find a couch and then sit on it every night!” I shouted with a laugh as tears welled in my eyes.

He thought I was leaving. The idea of Till hurting was far worse than the idea of me sitting on a couch without him. And it should be known that that idea hurt pretty damn bad.

“Right.” He tossed me a patronizing smile. “When are you leaving?”

“Tonight if you don’t stop acting like a dick.” I tried to sound stern, but the tears fell from my eyes.

I wanted to blame them on the fact that I was angry, but those tears were so much more. They were five years of codependency, one thousand twenty-six days where I had known someone was waiting for me—and one night when the world felt right as I’d slept at his side.

He swallowed hard. Using the sleeve of his black hoodie pulled over the heel of his palm, he wiped my tears away. Then, after scooping me off my feet, he held me tight and sat us both down on the cushions on the floor.

“Don’t cry. It’s just gonna be weird not having you around all the time,” he murmured into my hair.

I tilted my head back, hoping that, in some way, I could convey my promise through the only simple words I had to offer. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Liar,” he whispered, looking down just as I glanced up.

With his lips just a whisper away from mine and closer than ever before, my eyes drifted to his mouth and his head immediately fell back against the wall.

“Don’t do that,” he groaned. “Not tonight.”

“Do what?” I asked innocently as I licked my lips. I lifted my chin so my nose grazed across his cheek. It could have been an innocent brush of skin. It absolutely wasn’t though.

“Seriously, when do you leave?” He changed the subject and turned his head out of my reach, but his arms still held me tight.

“I don’t have to leave.” I went back to eyeing his mouth. I wasn’t sure what was in the air that night. I’d wanted Till for a long time, but never once had I planned on actually acting on it.

“Yeah, you do. You have college and a way out of here. I’m happy for you, Doodle.” He voice was sincere and packed full of lies.

I didn’t doubt that he was happy for me; he just wanted to come with me. I wanted that too. So much that the words made their way to the surface before I could stop them.

Deep breath in.

Long exhale out.

Till.

And Doodle.

“I love you. I’m not going anywhere. I swear.” His eyes flew to mine.

“Oh, God,” he groaned.

“There is no way I could ever leave you, Till. I. Love. You,” I breathed, moving even closer. It could have been an innocent and friendly declaration of love.

But, once again, it absolutely wasn’t.

That was all it took; his mouth crashed against mine. Finally, those sculpted lips that had haunted my dreams—both day and night—moved against mine. It was needy and frantic.

It was overdue.

I pushed him down flat as I swung a leg over to straddle his lap, forcing my core against his.

“Doodle, please,” he pleaded for me to stop even as he lifted his hips to meet mine.

The contact made us both gasp. His hands roamed up my back and down over my ass while his head threatened to divide the pillow in an effort to escape me.

“I can’t have you without claiming you for forever.”

“Then claim me. I’ll claim you too.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of, Eliza.”

I sucked in a surprised breath. If Till had actually known my name before that moment, I couldn’t have been sure. But just the sound of it on his lips had ruined it for anyone who would ever utter it after him.

With one quick swoop, he sat up and tore my dress over my head. His mouth latched on to my bra-covered nipple, sending tidal waves of heat crashing through my body.

“Till,” I moaned, threading my fingering into his hair.

“Someone touch you like this before, Eliza?”

My breath caught as his hand made its way down to my panties.

“Huh?” he asked, demanding an answer.

“No,” I hissed, rising to my knees to allow him more room. Every nerve ending in my body was homed in on the gentle movement of his rough fingers.

“Good,” he purred then leaned up to cover my mouth with his own.

His tongue slid against mine, smooth and practiced—at least, on his part. Tilting my head, I greedily took his mouth deeper. I wasn’t experienced, but when he groaned down my throat, he made me powerful and brave.

His finger found my swollen clit, working me while his mouth stole the breath from my lungs. My hips glided with his rhythm. I was too lost in his movements to even care how wanton I looked.

I was in his arms.

“Say it again. Tell me you won’t leave,” he tried to order, but it came out as a plea. Then he moved his oral assault to my neck.