Page 5 of Beauty Becomes You (Beauty 4)
The music played, and Erin used another tissue to blow her nose. God. What a movie. The world can turn upside down. Yes, she knew something about that. Everyone did, if they’d ever been in love. It turned the world upside down and sideways—and only Blake looked right to her. Only he stood beside her.
She couldn’t continue down this line of thought. It would make her too sad, and she was already weepy from the movie. She surveyed her snack food leftovers with dismay. A big mess. She could clean other people’s houses, no problem, but her tiny apartment always seemed to fill up with junk. With a press of the remote, the TV flicked off, plunging the room into darkness. Problem solved.
A scratching from the door told her someone was here. She’d never given Blake a key, but her heart still fluttered as if it might be him. In the dark, she rolled her eyes at herself. She had it bad for him.
Courtney slipped inside the apartment and locked the door. She had crept halfway to her bedroom when Erin spoke.
“Had a good night?”
Courtney squeaked. “I thought you’d be asleep.”
“Couldn’t sleep. I was just watching a movie.”
“Oh, well.” Courtney stood there awkwardly.
Erin narrowed her eyes suspiciously. What the hell had gotten into her roommate? Her stance looked faintly guilty, like a teenager caught out for the night, even though neither girl had kept tabs on the other. Wait a second…
“You got back together with Derek, didn’t you?”
With an embarrassed sound, Courtney flopped onto the couch beside her. “Yes. Okay. Is that so bad?”
“Yes,” Erin replied. “No, that’s not what I meant. I mean, you can do what you want. No one can judge you for your choices, least of all me.”
“But you don’t approve.”
Well… no, she didn’t. Derek was a bit of a douchebag. He didn’t appreciate Courtney; he just called her when he was bored. “I just think you can do better, that’s all. You’re gorgeous, you’re smart.”
“He’s a good catch,” she said defensively.
“I know,” Erin agreed, knowing there was no way to win this fight. If she trashed Derek, she’d push her friend away.
With a flurry of plastic wrappers, Courtney dug around in the mess on the coffee table until she found the popcorn. “I know how he comes off. And maybe I could do better, but…”
“But?”
“But not everyone can find someone who’s perfect. A soldier, a professor. He’s kind to you, he’s crazy about you. You basically hit the boyfriend jackpot.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “Yeah. I did, didn’t I?” Abruptly her smile faded. “Oh man, now I really want to see him.”
“Girl, you have it bad.”
Erin groaned, turning her face into the lumpy throw pillow.
One week until the end of semester
Blake stretched and blinked watery eyes at his laptop screen, blinding in the dark room. In the days since he and Erin had cut contact, he had written twenty pages of a grant. The kind of grant he would write if he were to join the university as a full time faculty member. He thought it was pretty good too. He was excited to share it with Erin. That would have to wait until the semester was over, and he could see her again.
Fuck, he missed her. Already his concerns about their relationship had dwindled low, but this separation had squashed any lingering doubts.
Once, he had needed her. He’d leaned on her strength and followed her light. Now, he knew that he could live without her. It was dry and boring and cold, but he could do it. He just didn’t want to. His desire for her had been cleansed of desperation and depression. Now there was only love, pure and resplendent. And currently, without her presence, hollow.
Shutting the laptop screen, he forced himself to return to bed. The sheets were rumpled and cool against his bare skin. He’d gotten into the habit of sleeping naked with Erin. He continued doing it, even if the velvety cotton and faint lingering scent of her left him hard. Again.
He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. It was already three a.m. He’d have to wake up in a few hours to head to campus. She would be in class, completely untouchable. Why had he agreed to this separation again? No, he’d proposed it. Idiot. Something about being careful in the homestretch. He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t think with his dick throbbing and full. Jesus.
He slid a hand to his heavy erection, gingerly rubbing the sensitive flesh. He should take care of this. No big deal. It hadn’t been, before Erin. Now his dick protested the callused palm, which suddenly felt like sandpaper. His dick wanted the soft, smooth lushness of Erin’s body, but too damn bad.
Just get it over with.
