Be With Me

by Gabrielle Sands

A rough chuckle. “Not bad.” “Can I go now?” “I think I’m going to need you to moan my name a couple more times just to make sure you’ve got it right.”

“If I’d known you were the enemy, I would have enjoyed having you beneath me even more.”

While she wasn’t looking, I swiped her lip gloss off her desk and shoved it into my pocket. Why? Fuck if I knew. Probably because I was losing my goddamn mind.

Mia Morales had infected my black heart with a virus that compelled me to do right by her. Fuck knows if I’d ever recover.

I couldn’t fucking stomach the thought of hurting that girl anymore.

She’d done something to me. I didn’t like these feelings. I didn’t like feeling. Period.

“About what happened⁠—” “That night was⁠—” We both stopped. “Go ahead,” I said. “Ladies first.”

“Did you get what you wanted from me?” “No,” was his quiet response. “And I don’t want it anymore.”

“Why are you smiling?” I sighed. “It happens when I look at you. Can’t explain it. Maybe you have a theory?” I didn’t mention the weird warmth in my chest that she also brought on since the night of the storm.

“Do that, and I’ll break each one of your fingers before I break your neck.” Erik’s hands fell away from my waist. For God’s sake. “Excuse his twisted sense of humor, Erik. He doesn’t get out much.” “She’s the only one who knows how to handle me.” Romolo’s tone was infuriatingly smug. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, your presence is no longer required. Leave.”

“I can’t fucking sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see you so vividly that I can practically taste you.” Romolo leaned in, brushing his lips against my temple. “I don’t know what the fuck you’ve done to me,

“Get me out of here.” Her voice was weak. She clasped my shoulder with one hand. “I need air.” “I’ve got you.”

“That’s unnecessary. You need to calm down.” “I am calm.” The fuck I was. I was angry at her for being so cagey and at the world for making her sick in the first place. “It’s called vasovagal syncope.” Panic gripped my chest. That sounded bad. Terrible, really. Did it have something to do with seizures? Was it a brain condition? Fuck.

There was a lot I wanted to say to him, but I settled on, “You’re nuts.” “Comes with the territory.”

“I want to be the man you deserve and I know I fucking can be. If you give me another chance, I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you.”

“I love you.” The words scorched their way out of me. “I love you like I’ve never loved anything in my goddamn life. It’s terrifying. It’s relentless. You’ve gotten under my skin and into my soul, and you didn’t even try. Somewhere along the way, I stopped being mine and became yours.”