“Emmmmmmaaaaaa,” a gentle voice sang, making me wince slightly as it pulled me out from my dreams. “Emmmmmma. It’s time to wake up.”
I groaned in annoyance and shifted into this warm figure… trying desperately to stay asleep.
But his fingers started brushing through my hair. “Emmmmmmmma.”
I pushed his hand away and snuggled closer to the warm cushion.
He just chuckled. “Emma, wake up, now. Come on.”
I shook my head.
“I know you’re tired,” he said gently.
“Emma, asleep,” I said cutely. “Good night to you, and politely shut up.”
He chuckled again, running his fingers through my hair. “You slept twelve hours, Emma. I was getting worried.”
I parted my lashes then, gazing up at the cushion.
Until I saw Jase.
I immediately yelped and sat up, scrambling back.
He just sat up and laughed. “Suddenly, so nervous! You must’ve been tired. Stayed asleep like a quiet kitten all night.”
My cheeks burned a bright red and I scooted further back.
The moment I felt my side burn, I winced and lightly touched it.
His eyes followed down before they looked back up. “Do you want me to look at it? Make sure there’s no infection or anything?”
I shook my head, gazing up at him nervously.
Did I seriously… sleep with him all night?!
Oh, my God… Lizzy’s probably frantic. I wouldn’t hear the end of it.
“What time is it?” I said then, tucking some hair behind my ear.
“Noon,” he said then. “You slept a while.”
The moment I realized that I was wearing his T-shirt, I gazed down to make sure my legs weren’t exposed.
When I found the covers up to my waist, I just quietly sighed in relief.
“Uhm…” I said then, glancing around for my phone, “I should go home.”
He just caught my wrist, making me gasp when he shoved me down onto the bed and rolled over me.
My eyes widened, my cheeks flushing with fever.
He just leaned down, face inches from mine. “Why leave? You looked so comfy.”
I tried to avoid gasping.
So close… So close.
“Tennis…” I said weakly. “I have tennis.”
“Tennis?” he echoed, looking as if he was trying not to laugh. “You’re such a bad liar.”
I thinned my lips, realizing again that he could read my mind.
And I remembered all that I found out last night, about him wanting to kill me… about the pain I felt last night… the emotional pain.
For some reason… it sat with me better now… and I didn’t know why.
“You want to know why?” Jase said then, making my lips part.
He just leaned his face closer, his voice a seductive whisper, “It’s because you snuggled with me last night.”
A flutter of anxiety and excitement filled me at his words.
He just continued, “They found in psychological studies that when you sleep at night with someone cuddled with you, when you wake up with them, the trust between you grows.”
Even when I knew he wanted to kill me…?
That’s concerning.
But I finally managed a response, “Nerd.”
His smile grew wicked. “You calling me smart?”
“I won’t admit to anything,” I stated then.
“Even with how close my face is to yours?” he said then. “Inches from your lips… seconds away from a much better moment.”
I just watched him hazily. “Jase….”
“Hmm?”
“Jase. Please… I can’t do this.”
He tipped his head to the side. “Why not?”
“It’ll hurt me…” I told him.
His lips curved slightly. “You’re a virgin?”
“No—I mean, yes—but that’s not what I’m saying.” I clearly sounded as flustered as I felt.
He looked as if he was trying not to laugh.
“I mean my side…” I told him, making his eyes lock on mine. “I mean… my injury.”
If I wanted to have sex for the first time, I wanted to feel it fully, not have pain drown out the feeling.
My lungs filled with air when I realized he just heard what I thought.
I tried to reply with a mean comeback. “I mean… uhm… uh….”
“It’s alright,” he said with a gentle smile. “I know.”
I looked away then, the flutters inside me burning through my every being.
“Why don’t you stay in bed with me today?” he said then, brushing some hair away from my face. “You can rest. I can stay here to protect you.”
“Did Twilight run away because he heard you coming…?” I said then.
By his dangerous smirk, I knew my answer.
He just lightly kissed the corners of my lips, making heat flash through me. “Stay here. I’ll go get you some pain meds, okay?”
“Uh… uh… okay.”
He then crawled off the bed and wandered off into the bathroom.
Don’t touch the fire. Don’t touch the fire.
Goddamn it. I touched the fire… and I wanted it more, even if it would burn me.
I stared up at the ceiling then, eyes glossing over with a sudden relief.
But he… but when he heard my thoughts of not wanting to be in pain during… he accepted it?
I thought he was the kind of guy who was all in it for himself, but… but he was okay with it?
I didn’t understand him.
Seconds later, he came back with two pills in hand.
He held them out to me, along with a glass of water.
Unsure of his motive, I just shook my head.
He lowered his hands, smiling slightly. “It’s ibuprofen. Gel caps.”
I shook my head again, gazing up at him shakily.
For all I knew… it could be cyanide.
He just sighed and lowered his hands, setting the pills on the table seconds later, and he just sat beside me. “It’s going to be hard to get you to ease up, huh?”
He caught a small chunk of my hair and adjusted it over my shoulder.
I glanced at him nervously.
There was a soft smile on his face. “You’re so beautiful, you know that?”
I then looked down to my lap, cheeks flooding with embarrassment immediately.
He just ran his fingers through my hair again, making me sniffle. “So undeniably gorgeous.”
“I don’t understand you…” I whispered quietly.
“I’m hard to understand,” he openly admitted. “And I told you what you wanted to know. I told you a lot about me. The rest is up to you. You have to believe me.”
I just stared down at my lap. “Did the angels really curse you?”
“Yes,” he said honestly, “but I have emotions. Some are more inflated than others.”
“Inflated… anger…?” I whispered.
“Surprisingly, no,” he said with a small smile. “Amusement, confidence, protectiveness, yes.”
I looked at him from the side, feeling oddly shy right now. “Prot…Protectiveness?”
“Yes, Angel,” he said then. “Of things I care about.”
I then looked away again, still feeling incredibly nervous and shy. “What’s your real name…?”
He glanced up then. “Huh…?”
“Your real name…” I told him, “you told me Jase wasn’t your real name.”
He sighed then, defeated as if he knew I didn’t want his answer. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but… I don’t remember my real name.”
I gave him a suspicious look. “What.”
“I’m being honest,” he said then, gazing up, “they took my memories of my childhood when I fell. All I remember was the curse… that I committed treason… and then falling as well as everything after.”
“You mean…” I said in a sad tone, “you don’t remember your parents…?”
He shook his head, defeated.
“That’s… horrible,” I said then.
“Many argue that angels are worse than fallen and demons,” he said to me, making my lips part. “They’re selfish and righteous. Because they are the higher-ups. I—for one—don’t remember if they were or not. I don’t remember anything.”
I watched him curiously for a moment, finding his sad and dark expression.
“Did it hurt…?” I said to him. “Falling?”
A smile found its way onto his face. “No. Falling for you is more hot than painful.”
I just watched him. “You know what I mean.”
He gave me a curious look.
“Like… did they really boot you out from the clouds and you went skydiving without a parachute?” I said then. “Hit the ground at millions of miles per hour? Did it hurt you…? Was it… was it painful?”
“It was horrific,” he said to me then, making my brows drew together when I found his eyes darker than night. “I can heal myself but… that is a pain I never want to feel again.”
I stared for too long, and I saw him smile again as he noticed it.
“You’re looking at me as if I grew two heads,” he said then.
I then laid onto his lap, making his breath suck in.
But I set my cheek on his thigh.
After a moment, his shock settled and he set his hand on my head. “Is this a sympathetic cuddle maneuver on your part?”
“This is me saying I’m sorry you went through that pain,” I said then, gazing up. “But I want ice cream.”
He laughed softly at my response, eyes glossing over with something happy. “I can’t get you ice cream unless you move.”
I just blinked and looked at the wall, closing my eyes. “A couple minutes. You still seem sad.”
“Restoring my HP?” he said then.
“Yes.”
“Restoring mine or yours?” he questioned.
I remained silent for a minute or two. “I am not inclined to answer that question.”
He chuckled a little. “Of course, you’re not.”
I felt his eyes on me, and he just sighed and pulled the covers over my shoulders, making my lashes part as I gazed up at him.
He just brushed some hair away from my face. “You looked cold.”
I stared at him for too long, and then looked back at the wall.
“Are you smiling?” he said then.
“No.”
“Liar.”
“I’m not!”
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying!”
“That’s what a liar would say.”
I just grumbled and stared down at his lap, closing my eyes as he gently ran his fingers through my hair.
I didn’t trust him. Not yet.
I just… I just needed a little longer.
You may not trust me, he said to my thoughts. But you’re giving in.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFF3vpnvFcG
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhZxfAIQxF
