“Goodnight, Presley, I love you.” I move so I can reach and give her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.
“Love you,” Presley responds through a yawn.
I leave the bedside, turning on the small night light she has on her nightstand, and following Jason as we step quietly out of the room. I flick off the overhead light, and pull the door shut behind us.
Jason is leaning against the far wall, his legs crossed in front of him, hands shoved into his pockets when I turn away from the latched door. The look he gives me is unfamiliar. Sure, I can see that hint of guilt still, but there’s something more, an almost heated look.
I walk down the hall toward my living room. I hear the soft footfalls of Jason following me, and I turn off the TV that’s stuck on a screen playing previews of varying movies on the streaming service. I grab the knitted blanket off the back of the couch, wrapping it around my body.I’m not necessarily cold, but I need the comfort of it right now.
Jason sits beside me on the couch, our legs nearly touching. He doesn’t speak, but he does reach over and rest his palm on my thigh. “Today was heavy,” I finally say after a long moment of silence.
He nods. “Yeah. It really was. I want to apologize again. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did.”
I lean over, cupping his palm in my hand. “Thank you for the apology. It means a lot, Jason.” Our faces move closer together, and I know where this is headed. “Comfort from another person?” I ask, our lips barely brushing.
Jason shakes his head. “I don’t know what this is, what we’re doing, or what is going to happen, but this is more than just comfort between us. I can’t let you go.” Then his lips are on mine.
He drags his lips over mine, his five o’clock shadow rough on my chin as he kisses me roughly, fiercely, like he can’t get enough of me. I lean forward, pressing against his chest until he is laying back on the couch, and I’m hovering over his body.
I run my hands down his chest, loving his softness. “Fallon,” he breathes my name like it’s a prayer. I straddle his hips, rocking my own as he hardens underneath me.
I don’t want more tonight, though. Tonight, I want to know he’s here with me. I want him, not a frantic fuck in a wine cellar, or a sexually charged moment in a hotel bed under the guise of comfort. No, tonight, I wanthim. I want to be held, to hold him in return. I want the familiarity of his friendship. I want those moments again. They were never about sex, never about frantic sentiments. They were real, true, friendship. I need that from him again.
“Can you just hold me?” I ask him, my voice growing soft.
He nods as I shift off him. I stand and hold a hand to him, pulling him to his feet. I drag him down the hallway to my bedroom, not even caring that it’s barely nine pm. I’m emotionally exhausted, and need this.
I rip off my shirt, leaving me in my ratty sports bra and old cotton shorts. Jason tears off his tee, shoving off his shorts so he’s wearing only his boxer briefs. I can see the outline of his hard cock, and while my mouth waters, I remain steadfast in the fact that tonight, we don’t need more. Tonight, we need each other.
I should be insecure about the fact that I’m not in some cute pajama or underwear set. Maybe I should be insecure about my belly, wide hips, or the back rolls that never went away no matter how many diets I went on, or exercises I did. I’m not though. Jason looks me over with a satisfied hum, making me feel like the sexiest woman alive.
I knew I didn’t need to feel insecure with him, even after all these years, after I’ve changed in more ways than I can count. He’s never seen me completely naked, not yet, but maybe someday, someday soon, he will. I want him to. I want to experience the heat of his gaze, feel the confidence he gives me just by existing. He helped me with my confidence all those years ago, and now, he is doing it again.
Pulling back my sheets, I climb into the bed. Jason follows, pulling back the sheets on the other side and climbing in beside me. I shift down, and he lays on his back, opening his arms to me. I shuffle so I’m next to him, and rest my head on his warm chest. The soft tufts of hair on his chest tickle my cheek, but I love it. I run my hand over the soft hair and revel in this closeness.
Jason leans down, kissing my forehead. “Thank you, sunshine.”
“I was going to say the same,” I respond, tilting my chin to look into those deep brown eyes. “I needed this. Thank you for telling me everything tonight.”
I cuddle in close to him, hitching my leg up and around his waist. I need to be as close to him as physically possible right now. I need to be touching him everywhere I can.
“Goodnight, Jase,” I say into the dark room, my body warm and fuzzy under his embrace.
“Goodnight, sunshine.”
29
JASON
Iwake up entangled in Fallon. Her body is still hooked around mine, leg up around my waist, fingers splayed against my chest. It’s almost like we didn’t move all night. I try to shift, but I’m stiff and achy. Yeah, we didn’t move all night long. Jeez. There’s a weird, warm, coolness on my chest, and it takes me a moment to realize what it is. Fallon is drooling. On my chest. That’s how hard she’s sleeping.
I want to be grossed out, but to be honest, it’s kinda adorable.
The sound of whispers and giggles pulls me out of mydrool-emma.I lift my head, opening my dry eyes. To the sight of Presley and Lennie, sitting cross-legged at our feet, whispering wildly back and forth to each other.
Whispering is a word I use lightly, since I can hear them quite clearly, but at least they’re trying. Presley is currently leaning over, her hand up to her mouth as she tries to whisper in my daughter's ear.
“Does this mean they’re getting married?” she asks, her voice growing louder with each word.
