His Reverie (Reverie #1)(66)

“Reverie.” I bend my head and kiss her because I flat out cannot resist her. It’s been hours since I touched her lips but it feels like days. Weeks. Years. “I gotta get you home. You can’t be here with me alone.”

“No,” she says vehemently, shaking her head. “I don’t want to go home. I want to stay here with you.”

I take her in. The wet clothes, the way her teeth still occasionally chatter. “You should take a shower,” I murmur, pushing her wet hair away from her forehead, noticing how chilled her skin is. I want to take care of her. Make sure she’s warm and safe and in my arms. “So you can warm up.”

“Will you take one with me?” she asks hopefully.

Closing my eyes, I lean into her, pressing my forehead against hers. “What are we doing?” I’m confused. She was so mad at me earlier and I can’t blame her. But now she’s here. Telling me she knows all about my past and it doesn’t matter. I should’ve trusted her more. I should’ve had faith that she’d believe in me no matter what. I almost let her get away all because I was too blind to see that she loved me enough to stand by me even though my life is a mess.

I’m an idiot. A lucky-as-hell idiot whose been given another chance.

“We’re making up after our second—and much bigger—fight,” she murmurs as she nuzzles my cheek with her nose. I close my eyes and pull her in closer, holding her almost desperately. Like I never want to let her go.

Because I don’t.

“Do your parents know where you are? That you’re even gone?” I ask.

“Like they care. They’re too wrapped up in their own problems,” she says, making a little noise of disgust. “They know Evan and I left the house. He told them. And I told Evan I would text him when I got to my friend’s house. Which I need to do now…”

I let go of her and she pulls her cell out of her shorts’ pocket. She types a quick text and then sets her phone on my kitchen counter before she turns to look at me. “Can I take that shower now?”

“Yeah.” I swallow hard as I drink her in. She’s so pretty. So sweet and accepting and so goddamn perfect for me. Even though she’d deny it and get mad at me if I told her, I’m not worthy of her. Not by a long shot.

But that’s fine. I’m not turning her away any longer. She somehow sees the good in me despite my best efforts to convince her otherwise.

“Will you join me?” She flashes me a shy smile.

“You really want me to?”

She rolls her eyes. “Duh. Of course.”

Just like that, I know everything is going to be okay.

It has to be.

“I thought Krista was supposed to come see you tonight.” Reverie tucks her head in the spot between my neck and my shoulder, her breath wafting across my skin as she lightly scratches my bare chest with her fingers. I’m feeling good. We took a shower together, we rolled around naked in my bed together, and then we talked. A lot. About what happened to me. I told her everything I could, answering her questions and filling in the gaps, confessing my sins so to speak, and I felt cleansed. Whole again. Like I’ve got nothing left to hide.

But I immediately tense at first mention of Krista’s name. Crazy, but I completely forgot about her and our midnight meeting. “Yeah, I was.” I glance at the clock. It’s already past one in the morning. “She was supposed to be here at midnight.”

Reverie pulls away slightly to lift up on one elbow, looking down at me. Her hair has long ago dried and it’s extra wavy, flowing over her shoulder like a thick blond curtain. I sink my hand into the silky strands, letting it sift through my fingers and her eyelids lower to half mast. She likes it when I play with her hair. “I never heard a knock.”

“I didn’t either.” Weird. Normally Krista would be making a scene. Kicking and cursing at the door, calling me all sorts of names until I finally answered. “Maybe the rain stopped her from coming over.”

“I really doubt a little rain would stop her from seeing you,” she says sarcastically. “Check your phone. See if she texted or called.”

I do as Reverie suggests, checking my cell but there’s nothing. No missed calls, no voicemail, no text messages. Not from anyone. “Nothing.”

“Strange,” she says softly as I settle back down into bed, pulling my comforter over us. She snuggles up close to me, her head a pleasant weight on my chest as I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “I was fully prepared to fight her for you.”

“What?” I chuckle, her fierce words making me smile. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.” She lifts her gaze to mine. “You belong to me. No way could I allow her to touch you.”

I’m so overwhelmed with love for this girl I can hardly speak. “Revi…” I’ve never called her that before but the way she smiles when I say it, I know I’m going to start using that nickname frequently. Especially if I can earn another smile like the one she’s flashing me right now. “You don’t have to fight Krista for me. There’s nothing to fight for. You already own me. I belong to no one else.”

“And you own me,” she says solemnly. “Nothing and no one can keep us apart, Nicholas. I mean it. I love you.”

“I love you too.” I bend my head at the exact moment she tilts hers up and our lips meet in a lingering kiss that turns hot. Deep. “I should probably get you home,” I whisper when we break apart.