Raine shifted in his arms, and he froze, loosening his grip. She sat up straighter but still leaned into him, making her face visible. She bit her lip, not looking at him. “Ben. What are we?”
“Friends.” He didn’t have to think about it. Oh, he wanted to be more than friends. But that…
She pulled herself upright, detaching from his arms and taking away her warmth as she studied him. “Friends?”
His cheeks heated and he shrugged, not fully meeting her gaze. “I–I would like to be more than that, but, I … you–you had a difficult time recently, and I don’t want to be taking advantage of that emotional vulnerability, and I don’t even know what to do about getting home, or if I should start planning on staying here in Terrene forever, and I want to help you know that you aren’t alone, that I can’t fight your battles for you, but I can stand with you through them, and––”
A cool finger pressed against his lips and he stilled, panic freezing his veins. He’d just insulted her or hurt her, and he’d royally blown it.
Her finger fell away from his mouth, but the back of her fingers brushed lightly over his beard in a way that wasn’t an accident. She pulled Ben’s jacket up around herself, nestling into the material as if it were a shield, protecting her.
“I would like to be more than just friends with you.” Her words were soft, but they hit his chest as solidly as a blow from a sword. She peeked up at him, the lapels of his jacket half covering her smile.
Her voice echoed in his mind, the meaning slowly gaining traction. A broad grin stretched across his face. “Really?” he breathed out.
She nodded, a small smirk spreading.
~*~Gorgeous artwork by Jirina Linnea!~*~
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