Page 87 of Run
I nuzzle into the crook of her neck, and she giggles. “That tickles,” she whispers as her hands come up to my head and she scrapes her fingernails through my buzzed hair. I hold back a moan. “Did you mean what you said to Lars?” she asks. “When he asked about your intentions with me?”
“Every”—I kiss her forehead—“God-”—I kiss her cheek—“damn”—her jaw—“word”—her lips. “How does that plan sound to you?”
She smiles. “I could definitely get behind that.”
“Good. Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” She runs her fingertips through my scalp again.
“What did you say to Larry? When you whispered to him? If you don’t mind me asking.”
Ari smiles. “I told him I wished he was my real dad.”
“And what did he say back?”
Her eyes gloss over. “I am.”
I rest my head on her chest.
“Is it weird if I feel like the luckiest girl in the world?” she asks quietly as she runs her hands up and down my bare arms, biceps, and shoulders.
“No, baby, it’s not.” I speak into her chest. “It’s kind of a beautiful turnaround, don’t you think?”
“Mmmm …”
We stay like that for I don’t know how long, and her breathing evens out. I pull back and slowly rise from the bed—her eyes snapping open at my movement. “Shhhh,” I soothe her, running my hand over her cheek one last time. “Go to sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“K.”
I make sure to lock her door before getting in the Jeep and driving away—but not before catching a glimpse of Larry peering out the blinds at me.
And with each mile that separates us, my body goes down a degree in temperature, my pulse slows, and my smile fades. I know that I left my whole heart with Ari. She’s always had it, and she always will.
CHAPTER 29
ARI
Iwake with a start as my body bounces on the bed and turn to see Sophie settling in beside me. “Move over, Smalls.”
“What time is it?” I groan.
“Time for you”—she jabs her pointer finger into my cheek—“to tell me what the hell happened with Ethan last night? And why Lars was acting weird when I passed him in the house?” She pulls the blanket down to expose the back of my body. “And why you’re wearing a T-shirt that’s big enough to belong to He-Man?”
I smile into my pillow before looking up at her, then down her torso. Sophie is wearing matching baby blue pajama pants and long-sleeved shirt with clouds on them, and a pair of fuzzy pinkslippers. Her hair is smooshed flat on one side and wild on the other.
“Cliff’s Notes?” I turn onto my back, like Soph.
“No way. I would like all the pornographic details thankyouverymuch.”
I rub crust from my eye. “There really are no porno-worthy details. Ethan brought me home. We started making out. It got hot and heavy, and then Lars interrupted us.”
“Noooo!” Sophie shrieks in horror.
“Yep.”
When my phone dings with a text, I bolt upright, expecting it to be Ethan. I roll my body on top of Sophie’s and reach over to grab my phone off the nightstand, then roll back to my side of the bed.
“Oof,” she says with exaggeration.
