Tone Deaf(49)

I twine my fingers in her hair and gently press her closer. I half expect her to pull away, but instead she reaches out and wraps her arms around my neck. Her skin is warm and smooth against mine.

Our kiss seems to last forever, but I’m still not satisfied when I pull back. I rest my forehead against hers and smile at her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. She smiles back, the kind of smile that says she’s happy. Not just satisfied, not just content, but happy. She quietly murmurs, “Can I assume that means you liked the changes I made?”

I pull her close to my chest, so that our hearts are pressed against each other, and I can feel the rapid pattering of her heartbeat. Her breath is warm against my collarbone, and her fingers trace the edge of my scar.

“They’re perfect,” I whisper in her ear. I kiss her forehead and then pull away a little so I can sign, “Absolutely perfect.”





22


JACE


KILLER COMES BOUNDING into the RV shortly after Ali drifts off to sleep. I’m a little worried about her sleeping so much, but I guess it’s to be expected. She probably hasn’t gotten a full night’s sleep in years, not if she’s been living in an abusive home. I still remember trying to force myself into fitful sleep, holding my breath as I listened for any sign that my dad had woken up from his drug-induced stupor. And then there was the first time I spent the night at Killer’s place—I’d slept for fifteen hours straight, and had only woken up when Killer tried taking my pulse to make sure I wasn’t in a coma.

“Dude!” Killer says as he comes skidding to a stop in front of me. “Seriously, what is wrong with you?”

I pull Ali’s sleeping form a little closer. What’s his problem? If anyone needs to be more discreet, it’s him and Arrow.

I open my mouth to say this, but then I realize Killer isn’t talking about Ali. He’s pointing to my mouth and gaping at me with an exaggerated expression of shock. Typical Killer.

“What?” I mutter, even though I know exactly why he’s surprised.

“You’re actually smiling. Do I need to call 9-1-1 or something? You’re not going to drop dead on me, are you?”

“You don’t need to act so damn shocked,” I say. “It’s not like you haven’t seen me smile before.”

He ignores me and points excitedly at Ali’s sleeping form. “Are you two together now?”

I nod and brace myself for the wave of uneasiness I’m sure is about to hit me. I’m not the type to “be” with a girl, at least not for longer than one night. Being with someone means handing my emotions over to them, and that never ends prettily.

But the uneasiness doesn’t come. As hesitant as I am to believe it, I think a relationship with Ali might actually be worth the potential pain.

Holy shit. Did I just use the “r” word?

Ali stirs in my arms and nuzzles closer to me in her sleep, a soft smile on her mouth. I trail my fingertip along her full lips, tracing the contours of her smile. I’ve had hundreds, probably even thousands, of girls flash me smiles. But none of them have been as pretty as Ali’s. Hers is hesitant, like she isn’t used to happiness, and it’s hard not to share her good mood when I know I’m the reason for the gentle expression.

The RV door opens and slams shut, and Arrow walks into the room. The second he sees Ali curled up in my arms, his expression darkens. I instinctively tighten my grasp on her.

He shakes his head in disbelief. “What . . . ?”

“Don’t even start,” I snap.

He throws his hands up in defeat and sits right next to Killer on the other couch. “I’m just saying—”

“That they’re absolutely adorable together!” Killer interrupts, clapping his hands together excitedly.

I raise an eyebrow at Arrow. “You let Killer have caffeine, didn’t you?”

“Two mochas,” Arrow admits with a grimace. Then he points back at Ali. “But we’re talking about your mistake, not mine.”

“She’s not any kind of mistake, Arrow,” I say, doing my best to keep my tone calm. I’m pretty sure I fail, because his eyes narrow a little.

“I’m just saying this is happening awfully fast,” Arrow says.

“It’s not like this is random,” I argue. “I’ve been around her constantly for a full week.”

“Which is much longer than he knows most girls,” Killer chirps.

I ignore him and continue, “Plus, I’m not sleeping with her or anything.”

Killer nods enthusiastically. “Which just shows how special this one is.”

I grit my teeth and shoot Killer a glare. “Dude, you’re not helping.”

He holds his hands up in an innocent gesture, but the smirk on his lips tells the real story. I flip him off and then say to Arrow, “You have no reason to not like her.”

“No reason?” Arrow runs a hand through his shaggy hair and shakes his head. “Jace, you’re being delusional. I mean, taking her in is one thing, but being in a relationship with her? That’s practically begging for the cops to accuse you of kidnapping, or worse.”

“I’ve already told you, I don’t care.”

“Clearly,” Arrow says with a scoff. “If you cared, you’d stay away from her.”