Ache for You (Trapped in Three Hill Book 1) by Nancy Beaudet Page B

condolences?”
                  Prayers don’t do shit. I know that.
                  “You okay my friend?” Flo asks my chin. She’s awake. I already knew that because her breathing was uneven.
                  Can one even sleep in her condition?
                  To answer her question, no, I am not okay. I will never be okay again. “Did you expect to land?” I ask, moving my hands up and past her beautiful ass. I wrap an arm around her neck, looking down at her green head. Her roots are showing pretty bad.
                  Why is this the thing I notice? I’m such a jackass.
                  “When you jumped. Did you think that you should take a break for a moment and then you would land, and we would all simply be able to start again?”
                  I kiss her head because I can.
                  Flo squirms and makes me hard again. I pull her back in, breathing the scent of rain water in. This is where I belong and where I have always been, a human body pillow for my best friend.
                  My life is back again.

   Jokes Forever - Flo
     
                  I smile. I laugh. I hide my face in Mal’s chest. I don’t just feel safe, I feel wanted. I feel like I’ve never been in danger. No one can say anything mean to me here. No one can make me insecure. I have no reason to doubt anything anymore.
                  I know that this feeling will probably wear off in about an hour. I don’t care.  “So what do you think about another shower?” I tease, muffling my voice into his t-shirt. My shirt has somehow ended up on the floor. Again. I don’t care.
                  “I can’t get the smell of dirt out of my hair. I don’t know why that’s the scent that has chosen to linger.” I eye the fading, green split ends. The roots of my hair are dyed black. At the time I thought it worked.
                  Can you guess what I want to say here?
                  Here’s a hint: (I don’t care)
                  I snuggle closer. My fingers are pulling down at the hem of Mal’s t-shirt. I’m surprised that he doesn’t have chest hair. Does he shave? That’s awkward. He’s not a swimmer.
                  His pecs indent and smooth over. I memorize the soft skin with my fingers. He’s pale at the moment, the natural golden tone less evident now than it was a few hours ago. He is soft all over but strong. I’m torn by the muscles in his arms. God dammit this makes me swoon all over. I have a thing for guys with strong arms. Especially when they wear well fitted t-shirts. I reach up to touch Mal’s hair. It’s long, and the ends are curled over. So dark brown it’s almost black. It is soft and grab-able hair.
                  I want to kiss his jaw. His neck. I want to pull his whole world apart. Haven’t we already been there?

   Not Here - Mal
     
                  I kiss her, tasting her and pulling her entire world apart. I was asleep a moment ago, but now I’m here.
                  My hands find her hair. I use my knee to push her legs apart, actively searching for her warmth.
                  I need to feel every inch of her.
                  “Come here,” I tell her.
                  She whispers.
                  “I am here.”
                  I kiss her harder. Her lips taste sour. Her kisses are brand new and yet so familiar it hurts. I’ve kissed her before, of course; my body melds beneath hers. She feels sturdy in my arms and yet I’m terrified to break her apart. Her heart beats, and I’m afraid that the glass within her is about to shatter. I kiss her words apart.

   Forever - Flo
     
                  I feel tethered and torn apart. Bruised and injured. I turn so that our chests are