Page 53 of When She Falls (The Fallen)
“Ras,” I breathe.
A wry kind of amusement slips in. “Ah, so she finally recognizes me on the third time.”
“Third time? What?”
“This is the third time you’ve woken up all worked up.” He straightens my pajama top and brushes my hair away from my neck. It’s all so familiar. He’s done that exact thing before.
I suck in a panicked breath.
“Calm down.” A glass of water appears in his hand. “Drink this.”
He watches me follow his instructions, and I watch him back. This is the first time I’ve seen him with his hair untied, and it’s beautiful. Dark-chocolate tresses hang to just over his shoulders in soft waves. He runs his fingers through it, and I have an urge to do the same, just to find out if it’s as soft as it looks.
I glance down at the suddenly empty glass. “I did it?”
His lips curve into a kind smile. The type you give to cute animals and little kids. “Good job.”
Confused. I’m so confused. Has he always smiled like that, or is that new? No, it’s new. It was never like that when he smiled at me before.
I hiccup. “Oh no.”
He brushes more hair out of my face. “What?” he asks softly.
“I hate hiccups.”
“Oh.” A different kind of smile plays over his lips, one he’s trying to hold back. “They are annoying.”
“I hate how I c-can’t speak properly with them.”
“We don’t have to speak. Unless there’s something you really want to say to me.”
The next time he raises his hand to brush my hair back, I clasp it and press his open palm to the side of my face.
Amusement leaves his features, but he doesn’t move his hand.
He doesn’t move at all as I mirror him and cup his cheek with my own hand.
I don’t see him take a single breath as I slide my hand into his hair and run my fingers through it.
My eyes fall shut from the sheer pleasure of it. “So. S-oft.”
He shivers.
I tangle my fingers through that hair while he drags his thumb back and forth over my cheekbone. I’m probably giving him a bunch of knots, but he doesn’t stop me. He just lets me do whatever I want to his beautiful mane.
“Gem?”
“Hmm?”
One slow swipe over my cheek.
“Who did this to you?”
What is he talking about? I should know… It’s on the edge of my consciousness.
I hiccup and take my hand back. A weakness spreads through me, pulling on my eyelids, pulling me down…
“Let’s get you back down. You’re falling asleep.”
