Chapter Sixteen
Christopher
The morning sun filters through the curtains, casting a soft golden glow across the room.
I can barely remember how we ended up on her bed, a little mattress that she pulled out of a futon in the back room.
I was too lusty, satisfied, and tired all at once to chide her for her set-up. Soon, though, I know I need to help Hannah find a real place. She needs boundaries. This is no life for her.
I look over at her sleeping face, her still mouth and roving eyes under lightly purple eyelids. Yesterday’s mascara is smudged under her eyes, and I see a faint hint of the tears she shed last night as I penetrated her.
I pull her warm body closer against mine and snuggle into her. I trace lazy patterns on her skin with my fingertips, finding freckles to connect like stars in a constellation.
”Good morning,” she murmurs, her voice soft and melodic as she stirs beside me. She props up on her elbow and kisses my scruffy cheek.
”Morning,” I reply, my voice husky with sleep. ”I have something for you. I got it for you that day you ran out of my kitchen.”
She giggles. “How did the bok choy turn out?”
“Perfectly. You seasoned it perfectly,” I assure her, kissing her on her full lips. They’re even puffier with sleep.
“Okay, okay, no more small talk. Go get my present! I can’t take not knowing what it is.”
“Oh, wow, you’re a child,” I chide her, rolling her around like I’m flattening dough.
“Yes, I am. Now get me my present, please.”
“Fine, but won’t you miss me? You’ll be cold under there without me.”
“I’ll live,” she says seriously, sitting up as I roll out from under the blanket. I kiss her on the forehead and go out to my car to get the present.
An anxiety over the gift starts to fill my chest, even though I know it’s silly. After our shared intimacy, I’m worried she’ll take it as an insult or a jab, even though it’s really meant purely as a present.
I bring it back to her and hand her the box, wrapped in old Christmas wrapping paper, while I strip again and climb back into the makeshift bed with her.
She laughs at the paper before tearing it off. She pulls the tape off the box and laughs at the paper inside the box.
“This is a fortress,” she jokes before finally getting to it. Her eyes widen in surprise as she sees the portable camping cooktop and beginner”s recipe book nestled inside.
”Wait, Chris,” she says, her voice filled with emotion even as a joking smile spreads across her face.
”This is actually so sweet. This is, like, one of the most thoughtful presents I’ve ever gotten.”
“You’re worth it,” I tell her, ruffling her hair. I reach out and brush a stray lock of hair from her face.
A soft smile spreads across her lips as she leans forward to press a gentle kiss against my cheek. ”Thank you,” she whispers, her breath warm against my skin.
With a grin, I climb out of bed and offer her a hand, helping her to her feet. ”Come on,” I say, my excitement palpable. ”Let”s go shower and make some breakfast together.”
“Wait,” she says, laughing bashfully. Her hair is so bright in the sunlight that the top of it looks like pure gold. Her freckles stand out like chocolate chips in the bright light.
“Okay, but I have to tell you something you may not have realized.”
“What?” I ask, putting my hands on my hips, so that my penis reaches toward her in a goofy pose.
Laughing, she tucks her head into her knees. “Please, this is so embarrassing.”
“What? Say it. If you can’t tell this guy, who can you tell?” I ask, whirling my penis around in a circle.
“Chris, I don’t have a shower here. I have to shower at a community center.” She looks up and scrunches her nose in an expression that tells me she knows it’s a lot.
I sigh. “Okay, well, we definitely have to talk about this living arrangement later,” I tell her, offering her my hand and pulling her out of bed and to her feet.
“But for now, let’s go grocery shopping and focus on a beginner breakfast: eggs and pancakes. And after, you can come to my house and shower since you’re a dirty girl.”
I wrap her up in my arms. Even after the sex, she still smells so good somehow. I must be in trouble if her pheromones do this to me after a night of sweat and cum.
“Okay,” she mutters, kissing me on my cheek. “Right after we talk about how someone’s embezzling from you and you won’t acknowledge it because of your deep-seated fear of betrayal.”
“Holy shit, you are cold, Handy Jackson.”
“Do not start,” she warns me, looking up with her eyes squinted into small slits.
“Awww, but now it’s accurate.”
“I should just let someone steal from you, then, do you know that?”
I hold her tightly. “You would never do that. Deep down, you’re entirely too sensitive for your own good, aren’t you?”
I kiss the top of her head, the warm sun in her hair and on my lips.
“Just in your arms,” she whispers, tucking her lips into my arm.
I hug her and cradle her head and think of all the things we need to say and confront.