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6/25/17
My groggy eyes blink repeatedly as a heavy yawn falls from my lips. I roll over and tap my phone screen to see that it's almost seven in the morning. I have a million and one texts from my friends but I ignore them with a fluttering sigh and fall back into Colt's comfy mattress letting the scent of laundry detergent and the faint spice of him envelope me.
The thick curtains of the bedroom keep the room dark but I know the sun is beginning to rise and soon light will be filling the sky and taking me into the day and away from the night where I made one too many mistakes. Mistakes that have awakened the butterflies in my stomach but also have my chest tightening in fear of what's to come.
My fingers clutch onto the soft comforter and tug it up my body so it's covering my shoulders. The air conditioning must be on high in his apartment because it shouldn't be this cold in the summer but in here it is. Chills race down my spine from the combination of the chilly air and as the memories from last begin to come back in full force the more I awake.
Before I can let my mind dissect the night before, or rather the early hours of this morning, a soft knock causes my heart to thud loudly in my chest before coming to an abrupt stop.
"Maxine?" Colt's deep voice calls out from the other side of the door.
I swallow the thick lump of nerves in my throat and continue to stare at the door before I realize he's expecting an actual answer from me. I could pretend to be asleep, but I know that's only putting off the inevitable. He's going to knock again. I'm going to have to see him to leave. There's no escaping Colt so I might as well say something now, but that doesn't make it any easier.
Nerves cling to my skin like a light sheen of sweat and my fingers dig into the comforter holding it to me even tighter. "Yeah?" I ask before I hold my breath as I wait for his response.
"Can I come in?" he asks but I can hear the hesitancy in his voice as if he's unsure I will actually let him.
Of course my first instinct is to blurt out hell no, but I know that isn't fair after what happened last night. Though I want to forget that kiss even happened between us I know I can't. Even if I wanted to, the memory of his lips against mine is seared into my brain and leaving me wanting more.
Also I know Colt would never let me forget. He's not one to let me forget or evade my mistakes though he would never call last night that. He holds me accountable and refuses to let me run away scared even when I want to, and somehow that scares me even more. Because I'm so used to running away and walking in the shadows. It's all I've ever known.
After letting my thoughts consume me and letting the silence between us linger I finally respond. "Okay..." I trail loudly enough so he can hear me.
The door opens slowly and right before my eyes appears Colt. Relief instantly floods me that he isn't half naked again. I don't think I could handle that right now. This time he's in grey sweats and a t-shirt. His hair is messy as if he just rolled out of bed and it makes a smile tug across my lips because for some reason it's adorably sexy on him.
