His lips trail down my neck, sending shivers all over.
"I love looking at you," he breathes, brushing the hair off my shoulders. "Will you let me look at you?"
My heart hammers, a wild thing seeking his. "Yes."
So he does. And I feel it. For a long...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
NOAH
I walk places.
I don't drive, I walk.
To my family, I have to drive, but almost everything else important is within 30 minutes on foot: school, the café, both grocery shops, the liquor store, and Camila.
Tonight's different.
The dark wind howls, the old Bronco's tires skidding on the snow-packed road. Flurries swirl in the headlights because the street's a fucking mess.
And now a tree's fallen across the road.
I curse under my breath, gripping the steering wheel tighter, and take a detour, circling the block until I find a way around.
When I find her little white house, the windows are dark.
I park and step out into the biting wind. It cuts through my jacket, stinging my face as I make my way to her door.
I knock. "Cam!"
Once, twice, three times—each rap harder than the last.
"Camila!"
No answer.
Snow is beginning to coat everything in sight.
I knock again, harder this time. "Cam!" My voice cracks, the edge of panic seeping in.
I press my ear to the door, straining to hear anything—movement, a voice, anything to tell me she's there.
Nothing.
I bang on the door with both fists, the wood rattling under the force. "Cam! Please!"
My heart's in my throat now, choking me.
"Cam. Camila, please."
My forehead falls against the cold surface, eyes squeezed shut. The thought of her not answering—of her being gone, of something happening—tightens around my chest like a vice.
She left me.
It's my fault—
The door swings open, and I stumble forward, the momentum carrying me right into her.
Her arms catch me, steady me, and for a second, I can't breathe. My head spins as I register her scent, that mix of coconut and something else. Camila. She's warm, solid, here.
"Noah?" Her voice is soft, confused. She grips my arms, holding me upright as I try to gather myself. My hands find her waist, fingers digging in to prove she's real.
"Noah," she whispers.
I pull back just enough to see her face, her wide dark eyes searching mine. Her hair is slicked back. Her skin glistens in the dim living room light. Her skin...
