7. Morning Whispers and Dreamscapes
I didn’t even need to open my eyes to know Ace wasn’t in bed with me the next morning. I felt the lack of his presence. It made my skin crawl and my chest tight.
I was never good at sleeping without Ace. Ever since that first vacation together, it just felt wrong to close my eyes without him next to me.
The room was still dark, but as I blinked my eyes open, I could tell it was morning from the heat of the room.
My heart raced. In my state of drowsiness, I forgot I had fallen asleep at Ace’s house. But where was he?
I shifted the covers to the side, and the white glow of his phone cast a light across his jaw. Ace was standing by the end of the bed, pacing back and forth, furiously texting on his phone.
I let out a breath of relief. His eyes snapped to mine.
Uh-oh, someone’s in a touchy mood this morning.
“Go back to sleep, Doe. It’s still early.”
I glanced at the clock on the bedside table, stretching my arms over my head. “It’s seven in the morning. Shouldn’t we start getting ready for school?”
The last thing I wanted to do was go to school. I didn’t want to see Ben all bloodied and bruised from Madoc’s beating, nor did I want to deal with the stares and whispers.
But I’d missed enough after skipping out the day before.
“No,” Ace replied, “you had a stressful day yesterday, and I know how much your migraines take it out of you. You’re sleeping in and that’s final. We’ll go to school later once you’re rested.”
I couldn’t deny that I was still tired. I suppose drifting off for a little while longer couldn’t hurt… I sprang up into a sitting position. “Oh my god, I forgot to tell my parents I was staying over!” I lunged for my phone on his bedside table, but Ace was gently gripping my forearm in a flash.
He caressed the inside of my wrist with his thumb. “I texted your parents last night with your phone and told them you were staying at Marta’s.”
I settled back down onto his pillows. I liked that they smelled like him. “Oh. And they believed it?”
Ace nodded. “I’ll always take care of you, Doe. You know that. Will you go back to sleep for me now?”
I shifted on the bed. I wouldn’t be getting a wink of sleep if Ace didn’t come back to bed but I couldn’t tell him that though. That wasn’t the sort of thing you said to your best friend.
Yeah, right, as if he’s just your best friend, my inner voice said. ~You would spread your legs for him and beg him to fuck you right now if he told you to.~ My face flooded with heat. Whoa, where did that come from?
“Doe”—Ace’s stern tone pulled me back to reality—“just do as I say. I need you to get some more rest, yeah?”
I swallowed. I was suddenly desperate for him to hold me. “I just… What about you? Are you going to sleep too?”
Ace studied me for a moment, and then his expression softened. He rounded the bed and slipped under
the covers, then he pulled me close and kissed the side of my neck.
All the tension in my body dissipated at once. Just like I knew it would.
ng. I felt the lack “Is this better?” Ace asked.
I pressed my face to his bare chest before he could see me blush. “Mm-hm,” I murmured.
His fingers danced up and down my spine, leaving goosebumps behind.
A huge yawn escaped my mouth. “Hey, I had a weird dream last night.” My eyes were already starting
to shut again.
“Oh, yeah?”
“We were at your family’s old lake cabin. The one we used to go to every summer before your mom passed.”
We hadn’t been there in years. I wondered if his father sold it after Ace’s mom died.
“We were probably only eight years old, and we brought a bunch of blankets and pillows out to the backyard and made a fort with the lawn furniture. Do you remember when we used to do that?”
“Yeah, I do.” Nostalgia laced his voice. “You always made me do all the heavy lifting and then got mad when I put something in the wrong place.”
It was true. I was very serious about my fort building when I was little. I liked having a special place to hang out where only Ace and I were allowed; somewhere cozy and safe to talk and share secrets.
I snorted. “I tried to help. You never let me pick anything up! You said the patio furniture was too heavy and I could hurt myself.”
Ace hadn’t changed much since childhood. graines take it outHe chuckled. “So, it was a good dream?”
“Yeah. It was a good dream. Except that when it came to sleeping under the stars, you weren’t there for
some reason.” g over!” I lunged That’s how I knew it had been a dream and not a memory. Ace would never have let me camp outside on my own. Neither would my parents.
“Late into the night, a wolf came into the fort. He ate all my popcorn, licked my face, and then snuggled with me until I fell asleep.” I yawned again, my eyelids feeling like rocks. “It was sweet.”
I frowned as Ace’s hands paused on my back. “Why did you stop rubbing?”
Instantly, he pressed his fingers into my muscles once again, only higher this time, massaging the skin of my neck and the base of my skull. I sighed in bliss. ed but I couldn’t “That is a weird dream,” Ace murmured as he rubbed, his voice quiet and just a bit tense.
“Mm, probably just because I saw that wolf in your backyard yesterday…”
His addictive touch felt so good, it was hard to concentrate on anything else.
t some more rest,
Are you going to
the covers, then he pulled me close and kissed the side of my neck.
All the tension in my body dissipated at once. Just like I knew it would.
“Is this better?” Ace asked.
I pressed my face to his bare chest before he could see me blush. “Mm-hm,” I murmured.
His fingers danced up and down my spine, leaving goosebumps behind.
A huge yawn escaped my mouth. “Hey, I had a weird dream last night.” My eyes were already starting
to shut again.
“Oh, yeah?”
“We were at your family’s old lake cabin. The one we used to go to every summer before your mom passed.”
We hadn’t been there in years. I wondered if his father sold it after Ace’s mom died.
“We were probably only eight years old, and we brought a bunch of blankets and pillows out to the backyard and made a fort with the lawn furniture. Do you remember when we used to do that?”
“Yeah, I do.” Nostalgia laced his voice. “You always made me do all the heavy lifting and then got mad when I put something in the wrong place.”
It was true. I was very serious about my fort building when I was little. I liked having a special place to hang out where only Ace and I were allowed; somewhere cozy and safe to talk and share secrets.
I snorted. “I tried to help. You never let me pick anything up! You said the patio furniture was too heavy and I could hurt myself.”
Ace hadn’t changed much since childhood.
He chuckled. “So, it was a good dream?”
“Yeah. It was a good dream. Except that when it came to sleeping under the stars, you weren’t there for some reason.”
That’s how I knew it had been a dream and not a memory. Ace would never have let me camp outside on my own. Neither would my parents.
“Late into the night, a wolf came into the fort. He ate all my popcorn, licked my face, and then snuggled with me until I fell asleep.” I yawned again, my eyelids feeling like rocks. “It was sweet.”
I frowned as Ace’s hands paused on my back. “Why did you stop rubbing?”
Instantly, he pressed his fingers into my muscles once again, only higher this time, massaging the skin of my neck and the base of my skull. I sighed in bliss.
“That is a weird dream,” Ace murmured as he rubbed, his voice quiet and just a bit tense.
“Mm, probably just because I saw that wolf in your backyard yesterday…”
His addictive touch felt so good, it was hard to concentrate on anything else.
