Crescendo

Chapter 24

I stirred in Daniel's arms, underneath the heather green duvet, separating us from the early morning air. My eyes opened, gradually taking in my surroundings.

I stayed the night again. But this time it was planned. I turned, looking at Daniel, his heavy arm resting over my chest, his hands cupping my bare boob and squeezing when I chuckled.

"Morning," he said, his voice gruff, a wry smile forming on his lips.

"How'd you sleep?" I asked,

"Like the dead," he said. "Hungry?"

"Depends on what's on the menu," I said, twisting inside his embrace. I laid on my shoulder, facing him. "What's your favorite thing to eat in the morning?"

His eyes found mine, and a wild gleam formed in his eyes. "Other than you?"

I rolled my eyes, amused. "You did enough of that last night," I said, remembering the long periods that his head was between my legs, lapping up our cum. As if there were anything better than having him devour me.

"Shame," he said. "I had a craving." Before I changed my mind, he continued. "How about I get dressed and while you shower, I'll pick up breakfast in town?"

"You don't want to cook?"

"I can't cook." His nose scrunched. "I never got a hold of the whole not burning things thing."

"Seriously?" I laughed.

"It's not that I haven't tried, okay? It's more efficient to pick it up anyway."

"Fine." I smiled. "But next time-" I leaned forward, kissing his lips, before saying, "I'll cook."

***

I stepped out of the shower, steam swirling around my head. My hands had wandered slightly as I cleaned my folds, still sticky with Daniel's cum. He left a pair of green sweatpants and a T-shirt to wear on the bed. I smiled, pleased with his thoughtfulness.

After changing, I walked downstairs, thinking of Jay and pushing him away in the same breath. A morning like this wouldn't have been possible with Jay. He was uptight, nervous, and always scared that we'd end up accidentally pregnant at nineteen, forced to raise children before we were even raised ourselves.

But it wasn't the same kind of complicated with Daniel. We were adults, and he had his own life. I didn't know what we were long-term, but pretending to be together was the best thing that happened to me in years. And maybe, it wasn't so pretend anymore. Although there were worse things in life than having a fake boyfriend.

My socks slipped over the wood floor, reminding me of all the times I had gone ice skating with my mother before she got sick. I hadn't been there since, and I didn't plan to. Being on the ice without her was too much to bear. It was a lonely thought, one that popped into my mind every once in a while when things were good, like when I published my first book and it was a best-seller, or when I bought my condo. Moments of success that reminded me of moments of happiness I would never get back.

Daniel and I, well, we weren't a couple, but we weren't strangers either.

I saw that as something of a success, a moment in my life that I would always remember. But I still, I couldn't call my mom and tell her about him.

And as I rounded the corner, he was there, shuffling through the kitchen. It had the unpleasant scent of something burnt, resembling a chocolate chip that had been left on the stove.

"Hey," he said, his eyes darting up to meet mine. "You were faster than I thought."

"Yeah," I said. "I was really hungry." I followed his gaze down to the pan in his hand. On it was something that resembled a burned pancake.