How the Light Gets In (Cracks Duet #2)(23)
“Are you on the pill?” he asked breathlessly.
I nodded. “Yes, but we still need—”
“I haven’t been with anyone since you,” he blurted and I froze, stunned.
I hadn’t been with anyone either. I only stayed on the pill because it helped with my periods, but Dylan . . .
A lone, unexpected tear ran down my cheek as I whispered, “Me neither.”
Dylan’s expression mirrored my own. What a fine pair we made. Everything had been so wonderfully effortless between us, so perfect that we’d ruined each other for anyone else. Without another word, he pulled my underwear down just enough and pushed inside me. I gasped at how he filled me and closed my eyes to bury my face in his neck. Dylan’s thrusts were hard and fast, somehow fucking me and making love to me all at once.
His mouth found mine, and he kissed me with so much passion I felt like I might burst with it. He broke the kiss and held my eyes when he came.
He was so bloody beautiful.
“I love you, Ev,” he breathed.
That was it. He was going to break me. More tears streamed down my face. Dylan made soothing noises, kissed away my tears. By the time morning light streamed through the curtains, I was certain he’d kissed every inch of my body. I lay next to him, the sounds of his deep breathing filling the room as he slept, and knew I had to leave.
Last night had been the perfect goodbye. I didn’t want to sully it with an awkward, possibly regretful morning after. As quietly as I could manage, I climbed out of bed and got dressed. I stared at Dylan while he slept and knew there was something I needed to say to him. I just didn’t have the courage to do it in person.
There was no paper in the room, no pens either. I managed to find a pencil and an unused envelope in my bag. On the back of the envelope, I wrote a message.
Dylan,
Last night was beautiful. Thank you for giving that to me. As I’m writing this, I miss you already, and you’re so close to me, fast asleep. I want to tell you that I think you’re incredible. You’re clever and talented and caring and people deserve to know you. So please, don’t hang on to the past. When you go back to LA, start living your life, meet people, get laid, make mistakes, and fall in love.
And if you won’t do it for yourself, do it for me.
Love always,
Evelyn.
I blinked and a tear fell down, staining the paper. I placed the note on the dresser, then quietly left the room. When I got outside, the cold morning air assaulted me, and my heart felt like someone had beaten it with a meat tenderiser. The bus driver gave me a funny look, as I hopped on the 151 that would take me home, my face red from crying. I’d meant everything I said in that note, and now I truly knew how it felt to do something selfless.
Because letting Dylan go a second time was the most painful, heartbreaking thing in the world.
Chapter 7
Present
Monday 10:34 [email protected] to [email protected]
You up to much today?
Monday 10:41 [email protected] to dylanod@dylanscents
Not really. Just working on my screenplay ;-)
Monday 10:44 [email protected] to [email protected]
Is it raunchy? The winky face infers raunchiness.
Monday 10:46 [email protected] to dylanod@dylanscents
Nah, it’s about two dudes who work in an HMV.
Monday 10:47 [email protected] to [email protected]
Okay. I’m hooked.
Monday 10:53 [email protected] to dylanod@dylanscents
So, their names are Johnny and Eddy. Eddy’s the nerdy one. He has a crush on this girl who comes into the store sometimes. Her name’s Vanessa, but she already has a boyfriend and won’t give Eddy the time of day.
Monday 10:56 [email protected] to [email protected]
Poor Eddy.
Monday 11:00 [email protected] to dylanod@dylanscents
I know. Johnny’s the cool one, but dumb as a stump. Everybody likes him even though he’s always slapping girls on the arse and calling them sugartits. Anyhoo, one day, Johnny and Eddy are in the storage room and they find this dusty old VCR player with a videotape inside. They press play, but all they get is a squiggly static screen. The fuzzy sound gets really loud and then all of a sudden, they’re transported back to the 1500s. They’re still in their HMV uniforms, so everyone’s looking at them funny.
Monday 11:02 [email protected] to [email protected]
Well, of course.
Monday 11:08 [email protected] to dylanod@dylanscents
Luckily for them, they’re already in the market place, so they steal some clothes from a merchant’s stall. The guy spots them right as they’re walking away and starts shaking his fist in anger. They run off then bump into this girl who, get this, looks exactly like Vanessa.
Monday 11:12 [email protected] to [email protected]
SHUT UP.
Monday 11:16 [email protected] to dylanod@dylanscents
Yep. Only her name isn’t Vanessa. It’s Shanessa. To Eddy’s delight, she fancies him right away and wants to get married. But then Johnny’s all, sorry, babe, he can’t marry you. We have to get back to our own time period. Eddy’s like, how the hell are we supposed to do that? Johnny goes, it’s simple. We need to find Leonardo da Vinci. He’ll build us a time machine, so we can go back home. Conveniently, they’re already in Italy.