Page 78 of Don't Think

Her arms slip between my back and the mattress, pulling me closer while she sinks her face into my stomach.

“Can we just tell Ana and Nora I’ve been kidnapped?” She groans.

I chuckle and wrap my arms around her back, squeezing gently. “Only if I somehow got kidnapped too.”

“That would be a story to tell,” she says with a laugh. “A random van shows up with a million romance novels, wine, and endless guitars. How could we possibly say no?”

Honestly? IknowI couldn’t say no to that. Stick me in a van with a guitar and Allie alone, and I wouldn’t ever want to leave. I can imagine her beside me, feet propped up on the dash, hair flipping in the wind from the open window while driving to our next destination on tour.

But then reality hits, and the dream crashes when I realize we have maybe two weeks left together.

That’s it.

“It’s crazy to think that by this time next year, you’ll be touring around the country,” she says quietly. There’s something in her tone, almost like sadness, that catches me off guard.

I blow out a slow breath, nodding. “Yeah. It’s wild to think about.”

“Are you excited?”

I smile. “Very. I mean, nervous too, but you know.”

“I can’t imagine being up on stage like that. I’m nervous just being in the crowd, never mind having all those eyes on me.”

“Well, when you say it like that,” I say low, holding back a laugh.

She quickly lifts her head, meeting my eyes before scanning my face and easily catching me holding it back. Then she swats my chest before lying back down.

“I’m just saying,” she says, readjusting her head until she’s comfortable. “I mean, it’s crazy in the crowd. I know someone who got hit in the face so hard, they ended up with a sinus infection from it.”

“Jesus,” I breathe out. “A sinus infection from a blow to the face like that could kill you.”

She nods. “Yeah, they said their doctor yelled at them and told them no more concerts.”

“Did they listen?”

She chuckles. “No, of course not.”

I look down at her, trying to get her to meet my eyes, but instead I catch her biting back a smile.

“Let me guess, this friend was actuallyyou?”

She laughs loudly, the sound like music to my ears.

“Does thatsoundlike something I would do?” she asks, pretending to be offended.

I smirk. “Well, considering—”

“Alright, I’ve heard enough,” she giggles and inches her way up my chest before gently pressing her lips to mine, silencing me in the best way possible.

When she pulls back, her eyes meet mine. Those shining, blue irises lock on mine, and in that second, I swear I can feel myself free-falling.

Falling into what though?That’sthe part I’ll keep bottled up.

Not naming it and not labeling any feelings. Because I know how this ends, and it’s going to hurt like hell.

And if I tell her how I really feel? It’ll just drag her down with me, and that’s the last thing I want for her.

I bend down and press my lips against hers again, this time keeping them there. She hums a laugh against my lips, thevibration pulling a smile from my mouth while they’re still pressed to hers.