Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Then, softly, he starts to sing. The same song he used to hum on the island. It’s not perfect—his voice cracks a little on the higher notes—but it doesn’t matter. It’s him. It’s us.
And for the first time since we left the island, I feel like maybe, just maybe, everything will be okay.
The room is still dark, bathed in the faint glow of the moonlight spilling through the blinds of Henry’s bedroom. I wake slowly, warmth seeping into every part of me. Henry’s arms are wrapped around me, his body pressed firmly against mine. His chest rises and falls steadily, the rhythmic sound of his breathing lulling me even as I stir.
I’m so warm, so perfectly warm, and the hard muscles of his body are a comfort I didn’t realize I’d been craving. Being with him like this feels good. Too good.
And the growing ache between my thighs makes one thing clear—I want him.
If I’m honest with myself, I’ve probably wanted him for far longer than I ever allowed myself to realize.
Memories of him flash behind my closed eyes, like an old movie reel playing scenes of my life with him always lingering somewhere in the background.
Him as a sixteen-year-old, all lean muscle and tanned skin, surfing on the beach with Beau while I sat on the sand, pretending not to stare. The day he graduated from college, standing on the stage with that crooked grin that made my stomach flip. I was there for my brother, but my eyes never left Henry.
So many memories. So many moments. And the realization hits me like a freight train. It’s not just that he’s my brother’s best friend. It’s so much more than that. I’ve been into him. Really into him. For years.
It’s probably why you never noticed June crushing on Beau. You were too busy crushing on Henry.
The thought almost makes me laugh. How inception-y is that? My best friend was pining for my brother, and I was pining for my brother’s best friend while being oblivious to the obvious.
I shift slightly, reaching up to run my fingers through Henry’s hair. It’s soft and thick, curling slightly at the ends. His face is slack with sleep, his features relaxed and unguarded. This man is so handsome, I swear, GQ should call him for a front-page profile. Even like this, in the middle of the night, with his lumberjack beard, he’s freaking drool-on-myself stunning.
Eventually, his lashes flutter, and his eyes blink open. The startling clear blue warmth of them locks on mine, and we just stare at each other for a long moment.
So many men I’ve dated, and never once did looking into their eyes feel like this. There’s no awkwardness. No pressure. The air between us feels charged with something I can’t quite put into words.
“You okay?” he eventually whispers, his voice low and rough.
I nod. “Are you okay?”
“Now that you’re here, I am.”
His words burrow deep inside me, settling somewhere beneath my rib cage. My heart skips a beat, my eyes dropping to his mouth. Those perfect, full lips. I can’t stop myself from remembering how it felt to kiss him. How it felt to let myself give in to him on the island.
You want to kiss him again.
“Henry?” I whisper.
“Yeah?”
“Are you with that girl?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “No.” He shakes his head, like he already knows exactly who I’m talking about. “Are you with that guy?”
The question makes my stomach flip, but I shake my head. “No.”
We could say more. We could explain who Ashley and Justin are, why neither of us seemed to care much about them on the island. But it doesn’t feel necessary. There’s a trust between us, an understanding that doesn’t need words. It might seem crazy to anyone else, but to me, it makes perfect sense.
Henry’s proven himself in every way that matters. He saved me when the plane went down. He took care of me when I thought I wouldn’t survive the island. In every extreme moment, he’s shown me that if there’s anyone I can trust in this world, it’s him.
Do you want to be with me? The thought flits through my mind, but I don’t say it out loud. Instead, I lean forward and press my lips to his.
The kiss is everything I remember and more. His lips are soft but firm, moving against mine with a mix of tenderness and urgency. He tastes like Henry, like warmth and safety and something I can’t quite define but never want to let go of.
He tightens his arms around me, pulling me closer, and I sink into him, letting everything else fade away. It’s just us, and for the first time since we left the island, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
January 15th
Henry
Avery is here. In my apartment, in my bed, in my arms. And I finally feel like I can breathe.