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Chapter 8

And the truth is stranger than my own worst dream

— Lord Huron, Meet Me in the Woods

. . . .

"Are you jealous?"

"Yes. I haven't had good luck with relationships in the past and some little fucker with half a brain cell–" he cuts himself off and takes a deep breath instead. "Regardless, you deserve better than that."

"Really?" 

"I don't think you're a horrible person, Violet. You deserve better than you give yourself credit for." 

"Thank you." I respond, a blush to creep up on my cheeks. "Um, can you drive me back to the school? My ride was Matthew's brother."

"It's late," he says simply. "You should stay here."

"I don't know," I pause, scratching my arm. "I don't want to get into any arguments."

"I'll be good. I promise."

"I don't want to impose on you. I don't want you to think I'm trying to freeload off of you, and—"

"Vi, stay."

"Okay," I finally agree.

"I'll get you some clothes to change into."

I follow him into his bedroom at the end of the short hallway. The thick drapes are shut and the tv is on mute up on the wall above his dresser. He looks through his dresser where his socks and boxers are stored, as well as his t-shirts.

"There's food in the fridge, and I can get you towels if you want to take a shower," he says while plucking the articles of clothing from his drawers.

He hands me a pair of black boxers as well as one of his white t-shirts that matches the one he has on now.

He hands them to me, our eyes not losing contact until I hold the clothes to my abdomen and head into the bathroom to start the shower. It feels amazing against my cold skin from the chilly outside air. When I'm done getting ready for bed, he's lying in his bed when I walk out into the bedroom dressed in the shirt and the pair of boxers he gave me. He moves over on the bed and lifts the blanket up in the air. Slipping in beside him, I lie on my side and adjust the pillow beneath my head.

Several seconds after I'm finally settled in bed, he wraps his arm around me, but his hand doesn't move up or down. It stays in one spot along with his warm breath hitting my neck. 

"Is this okay?" he asks, the warmth of his body relaxing me instantly. 

"Yeah, it feels nice." 

We lay in silence for a little bit, the heat kicking on, making it the only sound in the house alongside his gentle breathing. 

"Can I ask you something kind of personal?" I speak up. 

"It depends on what it is."

Asking the question anyway, I say,"When did you first have sex?"

"I lost my virginity to Emma, which is when Lilly was conceived. It was the night that we graduated from university. I guess the condom broke." 

"How long were you guys dating?"

"We met in our third year of university," he clarifies. "It was one of my friends' birthday and he was having this party. I went and I met her there. We talked, I asked her out on a date, then we started going out. It was simple the way we met and started dating, but it was good at first,"

"When Emma found out about Lilly, she became so hateful and tried everything she could to distance herself from me. I don't know what I did wrong. I had to get a job to stabilize us, and I was supportive. I wanted to be in my child's life, but I guess that wasn't enough for her. She just didn't want to be a mother,"