For the briefest moment, he stills. I feel him tense, and a nervous flutter seizes my stomach. But he quickly lifts up and smiles, the vise squeezing my insides releases me.
“We’re really doing this. Nothing can keep us from doing this.” His lips slowly find mine, and I open my mouth to his, tasting him. He breaths me in, deepening the kiss, as his hand caresses my bare thigh.
I didn’t bother changing out of my pajamas before he came to my residence hall apartment. My black booty shorts have little skulls with pink bows, and they make my ass look good. And my roommates are out for the night at some show that the whole campus has been raving about all week. It’s just us.
As his hand inches under my shirt, I suck in a breath. “I can’t wait to marry you, Tyler Marks.”
A groan rumbles in his chest, and his hand flattens against my stomach, stopping its progression. “Shit, Sam. I forgot.”
I lift up onto my elbows. “About what?”
He shakes his head and drives his hand through his hair as he sits back on his heels. “My brother’s in town, and I promised I’d hang with him tonight. I missed his birthday last week.” His brown eyes crease at the corners. “But I can cancel.” He bounds forward, capturing my arms and bringing them above my head.
My back hits the bed, and his weight presses me into the comforter. I revel in the feel of his strong body on top of mine for a minute before the guilt kicks in. I run my hands along his back. “You haven’t seen Holden in forever,” I say through my disappointment. “You should go.”
“Yeah, I should.” He exhales against my neck, a forced breath. Then he pushes up to look at me. “I can stop by later.” He dips his fingers beneath the elastic of my pajama shorts. “Pick up where we left off…”
I laugh. “No. I have an early class.” I sigh, hating that, again, I’ll go to bed without him. “I should probably pass out early anyway. Tomorrow?”
“You know it.” He leans in and kisses me long and soft.
After he slips on his shoes and jacket, I walk him to the outside corridor and lean against the doorway, hugging my arms around myself against the cold. “I love you,” I tell him.
With another groan, he pivots and races back toward me, scooping me into his arms, my toes grazing the floor. “Forever, Sam,” he whispers in my ear.
Those were his last words to me.