“She needs to let loose, I thought you could help her.”“Isn’t that your job?”“Not yet.”

“Okay,” she drew out. “Let me rephrase that. Did you sleep with Sage yet?”I blushed furiously. She smacked my leg and exclaimed, “I knew it! I could smell it on you.”“You can smell it on me?”She grinned. “When I was hugging you, yeah. Your chest smelled like cologne and man tongue.”

“The song ended, but I kept my arms wrapped tight around her, not letting her move an inch. If she was having some internal battle again, she could do so in my arms. “Watcha doing, wifey?” I joked, secretly enjoying the sound of that.”

“I need you,” she said with such determination that it was like declaring war. I watched her lips as she said it. If she wanted war, she was going to get war.I smiled.Then I threw caution to the wind and did the thing I’d been dreaming about doing. I lunged for her, grabbing her face in my hands, bringing her mouth to mine.”

“I could never forget your voice. You sound like an angel who’s gotten her wings dirty.”

“Who is good and who is bad? Life isn’t black and white, Javier. You and I, we’re just trying to live in all the grey. Isn’t that what you’ve done? Isn’t that what you want? To live?”

“I once told you to leave and not to love me,” he cried out, muffled. “I’m taking all of that back. Not because I deserve it or because I’m worthy of your love. But because I need it like the air I breathe. I need you. I need you to believe in me. I need your love to make me feel like I can be redeemed.”