Page 74 of The Complete Truth Duet
“Oh God,” I breathed, the coils inside me tightening almost painfully before springing to life with pure euphoria. My breathing shuddered as he thrust two fingers inside me, stretching me and coaxing, adding another layer to my release until I wasn’t sure how long I’d been falling.
My head was spinning as my body pulsed and I rode out the final currents when I felt his mouth come down to my ear.
“This is the truth, Cora. This. Right here. You and me. This moment. This feeling. This is the truth.”
My eyes popped open, his turbulent gaze staring back at me. “Penn?” But that was all I got out before he guided his length inside me, filling me completely.
Penn made love to me that night.
Like, real, actual love.
But there was something sad about it.
He never stopped kissing me, but it wasn’t heated or frenzied.
His hands never stopped roaming and caressing my body, but it was like he was engraining my every curve into his memory.
He drove into me slow and sweet like he was savoring every stroke.
It was absolutely incredible—and a little heartbreaking.
I came twice more, his name tumbling from my lips each time.
By the time Penn came, we were both covered in sweat, our lips raw, my legs aching. But I was completely sated—inside and out.
He held me as we slept, just like he always did.
But it wasn’t the same.
Even if I couldn’t figure out why.
Cora
Me: Hypothetically speaking, if I were to make you a birthday dinner, what day of the year would I make that?
Penn: On my birthday.
Me: So, like, Tuesday?
Penn: My birthday isn’t Tuesday.
Me: So Wednesday?
Penn: Not then, either. Where ya going with this?
Me: Hopefully somewhere with streamers and party hats.
My phone started ringing in my hand. Penn’s number and a sneaky picture I’d snapped of him smiling while talking to his brother popped up on my cracked screen.
“Hello, gorgeous,” I whispered seductively.
“Baby, my hands are covered in drywall mud. I type one more text to you and my phone is going to become a sculpture.”
Things had changed in the two weeks since Penn and I had finally taken our relationship to R-rated. I wanted to say it was for the better. It felt like the better each night as he climbed into my bed and kissed me breathless before sliding inside me. Or when River and Savannah would leave for school and he’d come over and shower with me. Neither of us got very clean during those showers, but they were effective in other ways.
But it was different.
We still smiled.
We still laughed.
We still played Truth or Lie tit-for-tat.
But the weight that had once only been in his eyes now loomed all around him.
He stared off into space a lot more, and his questions about my past got deeper. He asked about Nic. How it had felt when I lost him? What was the hardest part? Where I would have liked to be if I’d never gotten trapped by the Guerreros?
And, surprisingly enough, I told him a lot of truths.
For all intents and purposes, Penn and I were growing closer by the day.
But there was something between us that I couldn’t figure out.
It’d come out eventually––everything did. I just had to hold on until he was ready.
“Drew kinda sorta mentioned that you were a Gemini.”
“Oh, he kinda sorta mentioned this, did he? It fell into casual conversation? ‘Oh hey, Cora. Penn’s a Gemini,’” he teased.
“Well, no. Not exactly. I may have asked him when your birthday was and he may have refused to answer, citing that he ‘ain’t no snitch.’ But, when I offered him the leftover Swedish meatballs from dinner last night, he cited that ‘Even snitches gotta eat,’ and told me you were a Gemini, which according to my research started last week. I pressed further, but not even homemade cookies could make him give me the actual date. So…I’m hoping I haven’t missed it and it’s like…Thursday?”
He laughed. “Next Thursday, babe.”
I blew out exaggerated relief. “Thank goodness. I still have time to plan.”
“Plan away. But, just so we’re clear, I’m not wearing a fucking party hat.”
“Okay. Fine. But how do you feel about a piñata?”
“Fucking hell,” he breathed. “And on that note, I gotta get back to work. You cooking tonight or you want me to grab some takeout?”
I groaned. Takeout sounded amazing, but… “Savannah requested tacos.”
“They got takeout tacos at a restaurant too.”
I huffed, “No, I already bought the stuff. If I don’t cook it tonight, the meat will go bad.”
“All right. Your call. Hit me up if you change your mind.”
“Will do.”
“Bye, babe.”
“Bye, Penn.”
When the connection was severed, I sat there for several minutes, my eyes glued to my phone, pure happiness radiating through me as I basked in the normalcy between us.
My life was insane. My world was insane. But Penn made it all so manageable.
