Page 42 of Old Habits

“Thanks.”

I push my hair behind my ear with my free hand, cursing to myself as my fingers immediately get tangled in whatever nest has taken over up there.

He points to the bathroom. “Did you need to…?”

“Yes.” I nod a few times. “But you can go first.”

“No, I insist.” He shifts back. “You’re my guest.”

I step forward, cutting off his path as I pass in front of him.

“Don’t wait for me,” he says.

I freeze mid-stride and look up at him again. “Huh?”

He holds out his hand. There’s a piece of folded notebook paper clenched in his fist.

I sigh. “Will…”

“Don’t wait for me?”he repeats.

“You said you didn’t get that.”

“I went back and found it in my room yesterday. It fell behind my dresser. Don’t wait for me?”

“Stop saying it.”

“You obviously felt they were very important or else you wouldn’t have chosen them to be the last words you ever said to me, Jovie.”

“What else was there to say? I knew how you’d react to me leaving.”

“But you did it anyway.”

“Because I knew you could do better.”

“I didn’t want better,” he says. “I wanted you. Proposing was a bad idea, I know that now. Breaking up with you wasn’t much better, either. But I wanted you.” He stares at me with hard, unblinking eyes. “I still do.”

Will drops the note and rests his hand against my cheek. I fight the urge to turn into it but my body refuses to listen. His strong fingers slide back under my ear and I tilt my face upward.

Our lips touch. Warm breath slips between them but neither of us move. We linger together, hovering in a state of shock and wanting until I feel his bottom lip quiver against mine.

The kiss is soft at first but grows firmer as Will’s arm curls around me. I grip his bare waist as my knees threaten to let me fall and he pulls me even closer against him. My lips part for his tongue as his hand slides from my cheek down my body, gliding from my heaving breasts to crawl beneath the bottom of my shirt.

His finger hooks my panties as a knock pounds on the front door.

“Yo, Will! Rise and shine!”

We pull apart. He lets go of me and I hesitate before taking my hands off him.

“It’s Tucker,” he says.

“Yeah.” I wipe my tingling lips. “I should grab my stuff and get out of here.”

“Well…” Another knock cuts the silence but he ignores it. “You don’t have to leave—”

“Will!”

He sighs and holds up a finger. “Just hang on a second. Don’t go anywhere. Please.”

I smile as he rushes to the living room but reality sinks in deeper with every step he takes toward the front door.

This can’t happen again.