Chapter 49 Harper
forty-nine
Harper
HOME.
I was certain the scream of Shady’s bike had woken the whole neighborhood as he left a cloud of dust in his departure.
It didn’t matter.
I stared at the house in front of me. Benny’s house.
Home.
I inhaled deeply and approached the front door. Would he still want me here? I didn’t have anywhere else to go.
Was this still my home too?
I swallowed as I raised a fist to knock.
The door opened before my hand made contact with it, and Benny’s arms were around me.
I was completely enveloped by him. He replaced the chill, and the shadows, the darkness with his light. No part of me was cold, because all of me was consumed by his warmth.
My tears were sudden and violent.
I shattered into pieces, and he held me together.
As one, we sank to the floor in the open doorway.
I clawed at him to keep him to me as if I’d die if he let me go, because maybe I would. The ache in my chest seemed to indicate that it would rip right open if I had to have so much as an inch of space between us again.
I sobbed, and so did he.
And we held each other until we stopped.
Even then I couldn’t be away from him as we finally stood again, and he closed the door then led me up to the bathroom.
We undressed as hot water filled the large tub, and without speaking we slipped in together, his body under mine as he wrapped himself around me. His lips trailed my neck in not-quite kisses.
There was so much we needed to talk about, so much I was sorry for, but words were too big right now, and what we needed was touch.
When the water cooled, he dried us both with a towel, then threaded his fingers between mine to lead me to our bed.
It was still our bed.
My body slotted perfectly in next to his, and he pulled the bright purple blanket up over us, sealing us in with his warmth.
I cried again as all the weeks of exhaustion seeped out of me.
“Rest,” he whispered, placing a kiss to my temple.
Rest. Just for now, I could rest.
Benny was already awake when sleep eased away from me again, and the room was lit with a late morning sun.
His breathing was deep and content behind me, like a familiar and comforting song. I never wanted to be without it again.
I rolled over to look at him. His brow pinched as beautiful brown eyes took me in.
“Are—” He cleared his throat. “Are you… home?”
I swallowed. “If you’ll still have me.”
He scoffed. “Obviously. I’ll always have you. You’re it for me, Harper. Nothin’ you ever do could change that.”
I didn’t deserve him. I was keeping him anyway.
I claimed his lips in a kiss far firmer than I felt.
“You’re it for me too,” I whispered as we parted.
For a moment we just existed there, his nose brushing against mine as we shared air.
But there was a reason I’d come back, and we needed to talk.
“You’re going to kill Leon,” I whispered, as if someone might overhear us.
He inhaled deeply. “Shady told you that, huh?”
“He did.”
“Did you come back to stop me?”
I shook my head. “I’m going to help you.”