I laid over the sofa, sprawled over Gavin’s lap. I should’ve felt nervous, but watching the soft rain stream down our livingroom window put my mind at ease.
Gavin’s hands moved through my tangled hair, twisting the long strands around his finger. I hummed, satisfied with the passive touch.
“How many times do you think we’ve fucked by now?” Gavin asked, breaking my trance.
I blinked. “What?”
“I was trying to count them, but I know I’m forgetting some.”
“Probably ten times.”
“Only ten?”
“Want to make it twelve?”
Gavin scoffed. “I’m serious, Megs. How many times do you think we’ve…crossed that line?”
Line? I frowned. After months of throwing caution to the wind, Gavin was reconsidering his relationship with me. Especially with his new job in jeopardy.
I sighed. “I’m not sure.”
He froze, then kissed my head. “Should we find out?”
“How?” I asked after sitting up and savoring the head rush that followed.
Gavin tapped his chin, said “Wait here”, and then disappeared into his bedroom. By the time he returned, I had thrown my hair up into a ponytail and flopped back onto the couch.
When he saw me, he shook his head. “You’re incorrigible.”
“That’s a seventeen point word, babe.” I grinned, remembering family Scrabble night and letting the memories warm me.
Gavin rolled his eyes before carrying his whiteboard to the coffee table and tossing an Expo marker at me. Before I could respond, he wrote Airos+Sykes across the top.
I raised my eyebrows. “Are we seriously doing this?”
He laughed, “Scared?”
I opened my marker, added the first tally mark to our board, then said, “The darkroom.”
****
After fighting about what counted as sex, Gavin and I had agreed on a shockingly low number. I made a mental note to fix that while waiting in line at The Grind, the newest coffee shop a block from our apartment.
Since he made breakfast, I dutifully went to retrieve our evening lattes.
“Avery Mae,” the barista said before sliding the drink over the dark granite countertop. I frowned.
Where do I know tha-
Before I could finish the thought, a brunette with an arm full of textbooks ran into me. I recoiled, barely stopping myself from bumping into the caffeine addict next to me.
When I recovered, the girl apologized. Her cheeks turned bright pink. “I am so sorry. I swear I didn’t even see you.”
Invisible would make an impressive addition to my resume.
“It’s okay.” I straightened my cardigan so my bare shoulder was no longer tempting to all the men in the room.
“Really?” she asked. “God, you’re so nice. Most people get so mad. I mean, my fiancé is always telling me to just slow down and I try, I do, but who has the time?”
My gaze followed the giant rock on her ring finger. It glimmered underneath the florescent lights.
“Wait, do I know you?” she asked before her eyes widened. “Oh.”
YOU ARE READING
The Fear of Falling
RomanceMegara Sykes wants nothing more than to salvage what is left of her college experience, but when her newly assigned roommate turns out to be a snarky stranger, those hopes are quickly dashed. What's worse? He's her class TA. Falling for charming G...
