The Hookup Pact

25|Atlas

I was fully expecting Rosy to bolt out the door as soon as the high of the orgasm subsided. The familiar trepidation of her running out on me only intensified when she started scooting away from me. But I wasn't ready to let her go yet. I didn't want her to leave.

So I wrapped my arm around her bare torso and pulled her right back into my side. Where she belonged.

Evelyn's brows furrowed adorably in question. "Stay," I mumbled.

She shook her head. "You know I can't... I shouldn't. The rules..."

Rules be damned. I needed her to stay.

I had been miserable for the two weeks we'd been apart. And now that she was here, I wanted nothing more than to hold her close and never let go. Even if it was just for a few more minutes.

My hold on her tightened. "Just a little while. Please."

That seemed to do it because a soft smile graced her lips. My heart skipped a beat. "Okay," she whispered. "Just a little while."

I kissed her forehead and tucked her under my chin, heaving a content sigh. Holding Evelyn like this felt right. Felt good. It was scary to think how much I'd craved being close to her.

We lay there for a while without speaking, just enjoying the presence of the other. I stroked her hair, ran my hand down her back to her hip, tracing her spine while Evelyn drew patterns on my chest with her fingers.

"I'm sorry," I said finally.

The guilt of yelling at her and letting her go that night had been eating me alive. I needed to get it off my chest and make things right. I also needed her not to break things off with me because I... I needed her.

She and hockey were the two good things in my otherwise dismal life.

The realization made me reel, but I pushed the thoughts aside. I'd dissect all that later. At the moment, fixing things between us was more important.

Evelyn's pretty hazel eyes met mine, round and full of questions. I cleared my throat. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. That night. I was overstepping. I'm sorry."

She ducked her head down. "I'm sorry too. I guess I... I overreacted. I shouldn't have said what I said. I just..." She shook her head again, as if dismissing a thought, and looked up at me. "I'm sorry."

I pressed a kiss to her head again and in return, Evelyn kissed my chest. We lapsed into a comfortable silence, the only sound in the room was the slight buzzing of the mini-fridge and the tick of the clock. Everything felt nice and peaceful, but there was this nagging feeling in my gut about the events of the past few days that urged me to inquire further.

There was something about Evelyn that I needed to know. Something that troubled her but she wasn't letting anyone see. Not even her friends. My chest ached at the thought of her suffering alone.

"Rosy," I said. She hummed in response. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

Evelyn furrowed her brows, her eyes roaming my face, searching, but then something clicked in her and she nodded. "Go ahead."

"That night when we got into the fight, you said something about your dad. And then you said you had no one to protect you... I just... Are you in some kind of trouble?"

I didn't know how to phrase the question. I didn't want to fuck this up again by probing her, but I also wanted her to know that she had people in her corner. "If there's anything, anything at all, please talk to me. I'll try my best to help."