by Lisa Simmons
"Hey Abby," he said, hanging on me over my shoulders as we made our way through my door.
"What?" I laughed, setting the glasses of water down on my dresser.
"Wanna do somethin'," he muttered. His hands hung over my shoulders and started to pick at my shirt, tugging it upward clumsily.
"Whaaat baby?"
"Let's have sex because I love youuu," he said into my ear. He nibbled on it lightly, his action sloppy from his drunken state, making me squirm away from his as I burst into laughter.
"Smooooth," I teased. My head was starting to spin and as much as I always wanted him, what I really wanted was to curl into his chest and fall asleep.
"But I dooo love you s'much," he muttered, sounding confused as to why I hadn't immediately agreed. I twisted in his arms and looped mine lazily around his neck before falling back onto my bed, tugging him with me. He landed uncoordinatedly on top of me but managed to catch himself at the last second. He puckered his lips in front of me, silently asking for a kiss, which I obliged immediately, straining my neck to lean upward to press my lips to his for a few seconds before letting my head fall back down onto the mattress. He sighed and dropped his face into my neck once more, settling his weight onto my body as he rested between my thighs like he so often did.
He blew a soft stream of air across my neck and chuckled when I squirmed at the sensation. My hands drifted lazily down his back, dragging over the fabric of his shirt as I let my eyes close gently.
"So's that a no?" he muttered, sounding like he didn't really care either way.
"Le's just cuddle," I whispered, letting my eyes drift closed as I let his weight settle onto me comfortably.
"I like cuddling with youu," he replied contently. His lips pushed sloppily against my neck once, leaving a small patch of wetness on my skin. "But still wanna fuck ya."
I giggled again, shaking my head slowly at his lazy insistence. He and I both knew we were in no shape to do anything physical, the alcohol in our systems doing a good job of hindering our coordination and putting us to sleep quickly. My continued to rake down his back slowly while his warm breath washed over my skin evenly.
"Abbyyyy," he cooed softly.
"Hmm?"
"I love you," he said yet again. His voice was gentle and quiet. I blew out a soft breath of a laugh and grinned.
"So you've said," I giggled happily.
"S'cause you've not said it back," he murmured into my skin, sounding suddenly very sleepy.
"I love youuu, Reece," I replied, feeling the pull of sleep creeping up as I grew more and more comfortable with Reece settling into me. He sighed happily into my neck and was quiet for a few more moments.
"Abigail?"
"Reece," I said, giggling as I repeated his name like he was continuously saying mine. I was so ready to drift off to sleep and let the alcohol leave my body and uncloud my mind.
"I've something ta say," he murmured quietly. His hand shifted around until it found my hair, twisting it lightly around his finger absentmindedly.
"What's that?" I whispered, my voice growing softer as I drifted closer and closer to sleep. He took a deep breath, letting his chest expand beneath my palms as they raked slowly down his back.
"Move in with me, Abby."
My eyes popped open instantly, the lurking thoughts of sleep disappearing completely at his surprising words.
"What?" I asked, unsure if I'd heard him right. He let out a deep breath as he struggled to pull his face from my neck, clearly very comfortable where he was. His face came to hover over mine, his eyes sleepy and blearily but determined as he watched me. His hand left my hair to brush the strands back behind my ear gently, bumping the shell of it clumsily. He let out a low chuckle at his clumsiness before refocusing on my eyes.
"Move in with me," he repeated calmly. My heart pounded heavily in my chest, my eyes searching his to see if he really meant it.
"You're drunk," I said slowly, watching him closely.
"So?" he replied. I felt as if the alcohol were leeching out of my skin, sobering me up quickly. I desperately hoped he wasn't just letting the alcohol get the best of him.
"Do you really mean it? Or are you just asking 'cause you're drunk?" I asked. My eyes were locked on his, watching for signs of regret but all I saw was hopefulness.
"Course I mean it, Abby," he said simply, shrugging gently. His brows knit together suddenly as he frowned softly. "Do you not want to?"
"No!" I said quickly. His face fell quickly before I realized I'd said the wrong thing. "Wait, yes! Yes, I want to move in with you."
A wide grin split across his face as he beamed down at me.
"Really??" he asked happily. His eyes crinkled by the sides and they were practically glowing.
"Yes!" I almost shouted, my voice uncontrollably giddy. My wide smile was cut off by Reece ducking his head down quickly, sealing his lips against my own. My hands left his back to cradle either side of his face, tugging him down against me. He broke the kiss, the enormous grin replaced instantly on his face as he dropped his forehead to mine.
"Really? One more time, I wanna hear it one more time," he requested giddily. I let out an uncontrollable round of laughter, unable to control myself. My heart felt like it was going to pound right out of my chest and I was certain I'd never been happier in my entire life. It was like every cell in my body was rejoicing, making me feel like I was buzzing.
"I'm moving in with you, you idiot," I laughed, raking my hands back through his hair and tugging him down to me once again. His lips collided messily with mine in another kiss as my legs wrapped around his waist, hugging him tighter against me. I wanted to hug him as close as I possibly could.
"I've wanted to ask you for so long," he murmured against my lips, breaking our kiss once again as he was unable to stop smiling. I giggled and gave up on trying to kiss him. It was clear we were too giddy to carry on.
"Why didn't you?" I asked curiously.
"Dunno," he shrugged. His voice was still slightly slurred and he was still clearly drunk, but I could feel the ring of truth behind his statement, letting me know he had meant every word he'd said. "You already pretty much live there, just wanted to make it official."
"That's true," I admitted, laughing. Much more often than not, I ended up staying at Reece's house. The nights I didn't spend with him felt cold, lonely. Wrong. My smile widened so much it hurt at the thought that I'd never have to face a night like that again as long as things went how I hoped they would. "God, I love you so much."
He beamed down at me, his expression a beautiful mixture of utter joy, happiness, and drunkenness. "I love you, too, Abby."
"We're gonna live together!" I said suddenly, as if unable to believe my own good fortune. How was it possible that I had been lucky enough to get to be with him? Not only be with him, but be loved by him and to have the chance to love him. My heart fluttered once again, sending shockwaves through my body.
"It's just the beginning, baby," he said gently, his features softening slightly as he watched me. I couldn't stop smiling as he continued. "I promise you that."
"My broken veins say that if my heart stops beating, we'll bleed the same way."
Chapter 85
An uncomfortable jolt of pain struck my brain, waking me from my deep sleep as the inevitable hangover seemed to kick in. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly in an attempt to fend it off, but it didn't seem to help. A quiet whimper rattled from my throat in a moment of self-pity, causing Reece's arms to tighten subconsciously around my waist. My forehead was pressed into his chest, his arms looped around me and settling behind my back as he hugged me to him in his sleep. His skin, bare now, was warm to the touch as I tried to sink further into him and escape the hangover.
Last night, our attempts to lose ourselves in our bodies hadn't worked out, the fits of giddy laughter, alcohol-induced incoordination, and the pull of sleep overcoming our physical desires. We'd gotten each other str
ipped down to only undergarments before giving up and drifting off to sleep. That in itself had been quite the feat, because Reece had continually fallen over when he tried to remove his jeans, eventually having to sit on the floor while I tugged them off for him between fits of laughter.
I felt his chest expand a bit further than usual as he drew a deeper breath, waking like he often did moments after I did. It was as if our bodies could sense when the other was awake, the subconscious mind stirring from the depths of sleep to join the other. A deep rumble resonated through his chest, making it vibrate against my skin while his arms tightened once more around me.
"Owww," he grumbled, bypassing his usual morning greeting. I felt his pain.
"My head hurts," I muttered, my words muffled by his chest where I remained curled. My fingers whispered lightly over his skin, unable to move much else.
"Mine does too," he said, his voice so impossibly gravelly it was hard to understand him. He let out a deep groan as he rolled into me, burying his face in his pillow to hide it from the light streaming through my window. He tugged me with him so I was partially beneath his chest now rather than lying on my side. "I wanna die."
His words were nearly completely drowned out by the pillow and the rough quality to his voice, but I couldn't help let out a small giggle. We deserved this miserable hangover after the amount of alcohol we'd thought we had business consuming last night.
"I'd miss you too much," I mumbled, snuggling further into him and reveling in the weight of his body partially over me. He didn't reply but let out a small whine. A soft smile pulled at my lips and I managed to free my arms from beneath him to let them trail lightly down the soft skin on his back. Residual overwhelming happiness was still coursing through my veins from the question he'd asked me last night- something I couldn't forget no matter how much alcohol I'd consumed. I felt a sudden fear that maybe he wouldn't remember asking; just because I remembered didn't mean he would.
"Reece?" I whispered quietly, not wanting to cause unnecessary strife to our fragile brains.
"Hmm?" The sound of his reply seemed to cut in and out a few times, his voice breaking thanks to his hangover and the early morning.
"Do you, um... remem-"
"Of course I do, Abby," he said, cutting me off to answer my unfinished question. "You're moving in with me. Can't back out now."
My lips split into a wide grin that he could not see as he buried his face into my neck now rather than the pillow. He appeared completely casual, as if he had no doubt in his mind that I still wanted what I had wanted last night.
He was right.
"I'd never want to back out," I answered honestly. My thighs squeezed innocently around his hips in a kind of hug, his body falling between my legs like it so often did. It was my favorite way to lie with him: his face tucked into my neck, his hips between my legs, weight rested on me. It made me feel warm, safe. Loved.
He pressed his lips lightly at my throat before answering simply, "Good."
He let himself snuggle into my neck for a few more seconds, enjoying the feel of my nails raking lightly down his back before he lifted his head to bring it level with mine.
"When can you move in?" he asked as excitedly as his groggy voice would allow.
"Whenever you want me to," I answered instantly, not even pausing to think about it.
"Tomorrow. No, today. No, now," he answered, his grin widening and his eyes glowing.
"Let's let the hangover go away first," I laughed. He nodded once before ducking down, lowering his lips to mine. They had just about connected with my own when the putrid scent of stale alcohol and morning breath washed across my face, forcing me to dodge out of his way and avoid his kiss. His lips pressed into my cheek, missing their target before he pulled back with a playfully offended look on his face.
"Wow, some nice girlfriend you are," he joked.
"Your breath is terrible, babe," I answered honestly, giggling.
"So is yours but I still wanted to kiss you," he shot back, raising his eyebrows in a smirk. I slapped my hand over my mouth as I giggled again, absolutely positive he was right. I could feel my eyes crinkling at the sides as I watched him from behind my hand, grinning even wider when he dropped his lips to press a kiss to the back of my hand where it covered my mouth.
"Clearly I'm a better boyfriend than you are girlfriend," he said, shaking his head as if in disbelief. "Who would have thought, huh?"
"Not me," I laughed, dropping my hand from my face finally. He leaned as far away from me as his position allowed, pulling his nose up dramatically.
"Oh no? You think you're a better girlfriend than I am a boyfriend?" he asked, a hint of mischief behind his green eyes.
"Yes?" I dared to say, the word coming out as a question rather than a statement. I leaned back into the pillow, sensing his next move just a moment too late. He ducked his head down, his lips formed into an 'O', and blew a lungful of air right into my face, the warm breeze reeking of the putrid scent I'd only gotten a whiff of earlier.
"Reece!" I shrieked, laughing anyway. The scent set off a round of coughing, punctuated by laughter as he pinned me down and continued to blow on me, his face lit up in amusement.
"Stop!" I laughed, struggling to fight him off but failing.
"Say I'm better!" he demanded gleefully, hovering over me with a look that threatened to repeat his actions.
"Never," I dared only to be met by another blast of morning breath. I coughed again and turned my head away from him.
"Fine, fine, you're a better boyfriend than I am a girlfriend," I said, firmly believing it even though we were only playing around.
"Yesssss," he said victoriously, finally stopping his assault. "Knew you'd come around."
"Like I had a choice," I laughed. He grinned widely down at me, our hangovers momentarily forgotten in the light-hearted moment before a knock sounded at my door.
"Hang on, Emily," I called, glancing down at our nearly naked bodies and entangled position. Even though we weren't doing anything, it didn't exactly look innocent.
"It's not Emily!" someone chirped brightly from behind the door, disobeying my words and pushing into my room anyway as they flung the door open.
"Abigail, dea- oh my, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice flustered. My heart plummeted in my chest and my stomach twisted to knots.
No way.
I lifted my head to peak over Reece's shoulder, noting the confused look on his face as he, too, glanced toward the intruder. Or intruders, I should say. There, standing in my doorway with looks of shock and awkwardness plastered over their faces, were my parents.
My jaw fell open as I gaped at them, the absolute last people I expected to show up in my apartment unannounced. My dad's eyes widened drastically as he focused determinedly on the wall across my room while my mother seemed to vibrate in place, her hands flying all over touching her face and waving ridiculously in front of her as she tried to collect herself.
"Sorry, um, we'll wait out here for you to, ah, get dressed," she said, her face beet red as she backed up, bumping into my father's chest before managing to pull my door shut after her, disappearing without a word from me.
Reece turned to face me once more with a very confused look on his face, his brows knit tightly together and eyes widened.
"Ummm," was all he said, waiting for me to explain.
"Oh my god," I muttered, unable to say anything else.
"Please for the love of god tell me that wasn't who I think it was," he begged. I cringed, confirming what he already knew.
"Well fuck," he cursed as he dropped his head to my shoulder heavily. "They're gonna love me."
"It's fine," I finally managed to say, causing his head to whip up once more as he looked at me incredulously.
"Abby they just walked in on me on top of you. Almost naked."
"At least we weren't actually naked?" I tried, shooting him a wide grin that showed more of my teeth than n
ormal. He was not amused.
"No, really," I started, coming out of my shock. "They already know we're together and that I'm in love with you so really... not much of a shock for them."
He frowned at me skeptically, unsure of whether to believe me or if I was just trying to make him feel better. He sighed heavily and shook his head slowly.
"It's a damn good thing I love you so much," he muttered reluctantly.
"That's the spirit," I laughed, scrunching my nose at him. "Now get up and brush you teeth, babe."
"Same to you, smelly," he shot back with a smirk. His hands landed on either side of my head, flexing the muscles in his arms as he pushed himself easily off me. He bent to retrieve his clothes that had been scattered drunkenly around my room, no option other than to put them back on now. He grumbled something about making a bad impression while I chuckled and got dressed.
I wasn't worried. I had no doubt in my mind that they would love him. It was physically impossible for someone not to love him, a fact that stood concrete in my heart.
Once we were both fully clothed, we crossed the hall together to move into the bathroom. I pulled out my toothbrush and toothpaste, applying some to the bristles before I realized Reece didn't have one here. He frowned deeply at me as I stuck my toothbrush into my mouth, grinning guiltily at him. I started brushing my teeth and raised one finger, wiggling it in the air and nodding silently at his hands. He sighed and held out his hand, extending one finger for me to spread some toothpaste on.
I giggled as he reluctantly started to brush his teeth with his finger as I used to do so often as a child at sleepovers when I had forgotten my own toothbrush. We stood shoulder to shoulder, our eye contact held in the mirror as we brushed our teeth. I was struck with the sudden realization that this could become an everyday thing: sharing our own bathroom and getting ready to take on the day, together. Soon, we would officially live together. My heart hammered happily in my chest as we finished the process.
"So," Reece said quietly after wiping his mouth on a towel. "Meeting your parents, am I?"
