The Line That Binds Series Box Set (57 page)

“No, I don’t think so,” I said, opening my eyes. She looked my face over, tilting my head, examining me closely. Her concern gave me a feeling like no other. It showed me how much she truly cared. There were no motives, no incentives. She loved me.

I placed my hands on her thighs. She was so preoccupied she barely noticed.

“Does it hurt?”

“I’ll live,” I said, splaying my fingers over her smooth yoga pants.

“I’m so sorry.”

“If you’re that sorry, you can make it up to me.”

She tilted her head suspiciously. “How’s that?”

“I think you have to test my jaw,” I said, gripping her thighs with more pressure. “To make sure it still works.” I put on my best flirty smile.

Realization set in and the worry melted from her face. She shook her head at me and rolled her eyes. “Test it?” She laughed first then got serious. “I’m glad the beer helped loosen you up. I was worried about you earlier. I know that you are focused on finding answers with me, but I don’t want you worrying so much,” she said with her hands on my chest.

If she only knew,
I thought hazily. Hopefully, if I could figure it all out soon, neither of us would have to worry anymore. I pushed the thoughts away, needing to stay positive tonight. “The only thing I’m worried about right now is you leaving me,” I replied honestly. I didn’t want the curse to take her away. It was my biggest fear. It was my only fear.

She pushed her fingers into my hair. “I won’t leave you.” Her eyes were wide, begging me to get lost in them. She dipped close and slowly kissed my lips. When her tongue pushed into my mouth, it set off every nerve in my body. Through the buzz, I felt it all and craved more.

Our breaths quickened, matching the frantic movements of our lips. I sat up with her in my lap and broke our contact to yank off my shirt. There was an urgency to feel her skin against mine unlike any I’d felt before.

She didn’t waste time either, peeling off her shirt just as fast. Her hands returned to my hair, tugging as our lips met again. Chest to chest, I could feel her heart beating as wildly as my own. In this moment, they were connected so profoundly they could be confused as one.

I kissed down her neck, devouring the taste of her as well as every soft breath, every whimper she released to my ear. There was nothing else as beautiful in this world and I wanted to show her.

“And I’ll never let you go,” I said, laying her back on the bed.

I never knew love could feel this way. So absolute. So powerful. It lived deep within my soul, like it was on another plane, existing only for him. I could see it when he looked at me. I could hear it every time he said my name. I loved him. There was no denying it.

Our bodies were tangled the same way they were when we woke up yesterday in my bed. One of his arms had me pinned to his body and his leg was tucked between mine. The heat wasn’t overwhelming like it was in my room, though. He used fewer blankets on his bed. The balance from the cool room and his warmth was perfect.

I tipped my head back away from his chest and watched him sleep for the second morning in a row.
He’s undeniably gorgeous.
Thinking about last night made me smile and made my cheeks burst into flames all over again. He was attentive and thoughtful, yet also strong and self-assured in ways that drove me wild.
And what he did with my feet!
The moment was absolutely adorable. His rendition of “This Little Piggy” melted my heart in the most fabulous way. I didn’t think it was possible to love him more. But it happened.

I giggled thinking about it then tilted my head farther back to look at his alarm.
Seven
. I needed to get home before Dad or Gavin decided to knock on my door.

Moving as slowly as possible, I rolled out of his grip and slid onto the floor. The room was a mess. Beer bottles lined the bed. Clothes were scattered everywhere. I noticed it all last night when I arrived, but I decided not to comment because of how he’d acted all day. Somber, barely talking, hardly joking. When I showed up last night, he was in the middle of drinking. Was the search wearing on him too? I hoped it wasn’t weighing so heavily that he needed more nights of drinking. All I could do was reassure him and try to take his mind off of everything.

After he’d told me again he was only afraid of me leaving, I figured that the curse wasn’t the only thing still on his mind. Was he still thinking about Ryan? I’d explained everything to him the other night and he seemed to understand, yet maybe he was still hurt. I would’ve been. If I’d found him holding another girl, it would’ve broken me.

I shivered from the chill in the room. The green T-shirt was on the edge of the bed so I grabbed it, pulled it over my head, and surveyed the room again.
Where did my pants go?
They had to be blending in with some of the clothes on the floor. I tiptoed around a few beer bottles before accidentally knocking one over. It clanked in the quiet room then rolled as loudly as a semi for a couple of feet until it hit a pair of jeans, which were hiding my yoga pants behind them. I glanced over at Ben. His eyes were still closed despite the bottle’s obnoxious noise. I tiptoed to the pants and bent over to retrieve them.

An airy whistle made me jump. Not bothering to stand up, I peeked over my shoulder and around my butt. Ben had propped himself up on a single elbow. His lips were still pursed from his flirty whistle.

He grinned wickedly and patted the bed in front of him. “Please don’t put them on yet.”

I smiled at his sleepy voice. “Okay, but only because you asked nicely.”

He chuckled and adjusted the comforter over my body as I slipped back into bed with him. His head nuzzled into my neck. “You are so beautiful. Thank you so much for surprising me last night. I love waking up with you.”

“Me too,” I said as he kissed my neck and slid his hand around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I didn’t object. His touch felt so good it was paralyzing.

His lips traveled up my jaw and skimmed across mine, tantalizing me. I cracked open my eyes to watch him. His lids were shut, happily lost is the same feelings and desires. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. He opened his eyes, too. “What are you up to?” he questioned, squeezing my hip gently.

“Nothing. Just enjoying this,” I replied.

He pressed his lips to mine, fully this time, wanting more. My body temperature started to rise as the kiss sped up, leading us down the path toward our own private Heaven. I pushed my fingers into his hair and tugged. He shifted in response so he could settle on top of me. Needing air, I tipped my head up and he continued kissing along my neck.
Oh, God.
It felt so good. But I knew I had to get back to my room before anyone discovered that I was gone.

“Ben,” I uttered softly. His hand slid down my thigh, igniting more skin. “Ben,” I said louder this time. I fisted his hair and yanked it, hard.

He lifted his head from my neck and looked at me with parted lips. His eyes blazed, caught in a moment he didn’t want to abandon. He pressed his body firmly to mine, clearly displaying why.

I frowned and bit my lip. “I’m sorry, babe. I really have to get back before someone wakes up.”

He took a deep breath and let it out with a heavy sigh. “I know. You just feel so damn amazing.” Reluctantly, he rolled to his side.

“You do too,” I said with a smile, then gave him a quick kiss on the corner of his lips. “What time do you want to come over?” I sat up, swung my legs off the bed, and put my feet into my pants.

His hand slipped under my shirt and started rubbing my lower back, not ready to give up skin contact yet. “As early as possible.”

I pulled my pants up to my thighs and slipped my feet into my boots. “Sounds good to me. Then we can go make out on a hay ride.” Standing up, I slid my pants up the rest of the way and shivered again from leaving the warmth of his body.

“I’ll walk you back. You should have texted last night. I would’ve come to get you.”

“Don’t lie. You were a little too buzzed. You probably would’ve gotten lost in the basement.”

“Nice,” he replied with a breathy laugh as he stood up and pulled on his shirt. “You’re probably right.”

I could tell by his dropped voice that he didn’t want to think about anything before I’d arrived so I changed the subject back to today. “Where are you taking me later?” I asked, shivering again. It was colder this morning than it was last night.
I should have worn a sweater.

“I’m debating between two different places,” he answered, tugging on a pair of jeans.

While he slipped his feet into his boots, I looked down beside the bed, noticing his hoodie from yesterday. Goosebumps had taken over my arms. I rubbed my hands over them, unable to stop their attack. “I’m freezing. Can I wear your hoodie home?” Just as I bent over and touched the thick black material, Ben’s hand grabbed mine.

He pulled my hand, standing us back up. I eyed him curiously and his lips tipped up in a small, hesitant smile. It was forced, not natural. “That one’s dirty. Let me get you a clean one,” he said, motioning to the closet.

What?
Why would he rush over to me when he could’ve said it was dirty? I scrunched my brows, not understanding his reaction. “Okay,” I replied, dragging the word out to show my confusion. He moved us toward his closet then released my hand to search for another sweater. My eyes wandered back to the hoodie. It wasn’t just thrown there. The long sleeves were tucked tightly around the rest. Was there something in it that he didn’t want me to see?

Before I had the chance to talk myself down, and before Ben had the chance to stop me, I lunged for the hoodie. He came out of the closet with a green sweater in hand. When he realized what I’d done, his eyes widened with a tortured look.

“Why don’t you want me to open this?” I asked, staring at him.

He dropped the clean sweater to the floor and approached me. “LJ,” he started with a wavering voice, “I just need to tell you that I love you and that I only want to help you.” His hands immediately pushed back though his hair and he fanned his elbows out, swaying them a little. He was nervous. Really nervous.

Shit.
I was holding onto the hope that it was a gift, or maybe that I was being paranoid, but that was clearly wishful thinking. This was something big, and not in a good way. My heart raced, knowing it was about to be broken. The only question was how badly.

His eyes dropped, unable to look at me. My hands started to sweat. I peeled the hoodie’s arm back, noticing the weight of it for the first time. Something solid was inside. I could feel the stiffness even through the thick material. When I finished unraveling, I discovered that it was tucked inside. Holding it with one hand, I slipped the other through the neck hole and felt my stomach drop as soon as I touched the cool, porous surface.

While I watched Ben pace, my fingers ran across the familiar etching. I knew what it was immediately, having traced the letters of the first stone over a hundred times. Tears fell and so did the hoodie as soon as I removed the stone. I no longer cared about the room’s chill. It was no match for the emotions attacking every piece of me.

I kept my eyes on him. Sobs escaped my lips even though I tried with everything I had to remain resolute. Why did he have this? Why didn’t he tell me? When did he find it? I wanted to scream, but the words wouldn’t come.

“Baby, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he said, stretching his hands out and stepping closer. His fingers grazed my arm and I jerked away. “LJ, you have to believe me. I didn’t want to hurt you. I knew that if I could find the answers you wouldn’t have to worry so much.”

I pressed my lips together and wiped the weakness from my cheeks as quickly as I could. “When?” It was all I managed to get out.

He sighed and fidgeted with his hands nervously. “I found it yesterday, in the office’s storage bench, between two bookcases. I panicked… I didn’t want to add to what had already happened this weekend.”

I hadn’t even looked down at the words I was mindlessly running my fingers over. Did I even want to know? He just admitted it wasn’t good. How bad was it? More tears escaped with silent ease. I wiped them more forcefully this time, irritated I had to let him see me this way. I was furious right now, not sad. Sadness would come later because I knew I’d be alone.

I dropped my face away from his stare, looking down at one of the stones we’d been searching endlessly for. Sliding my fingers aside, I took in the words.
Memories gained, memories lost. For someone’s today at your yesterday’s cost.
Memories? I looked back to Ben, hating that I didn’t fully understand.

“How long have you been forgetting things?” he whispered, moving another step closer.

Oh, God.
That’s what this meant? I couldn’t hold the tears in. More and more spilled as I stared at him. I’d forgotten him at the party. I thought it was from the stress of seeing my mom, the headaches, and all the voices. This was the real reason? Another part of the curse? I grant people’s wishes and lose my own memories?