But Savannah...she could get a lot. Or nothing.

“Harder,” she whispers against my neck. My head’s a fucking mess. I should be right here in this moment, but I’m a hundred miles away.

I take her mouth and kiss her as I squeeze her entire body against mine. It’s not harder, but I’m deeper, as deep as I can be because it’s the only place I want to be.

She whimpers, but it sounds too much like a sob. Pulling away, I glance down at her to see a tear trail down to her hairline.

I stop moving.

I take her face in my hands and gaze into her eyes, searching every feature of her face for a sign of what she’s feeling. Then, the words just fall out of my mouth.

“I want you to stay.”

Her chest stops moving as she gasps. “What?”

“Whatever happens tomorrow. Just stay here, and we can work it out.”

She’s staring at me, her lips parted and her eyes wide. I’ve taken her by surprise.

Fuck, I’m still inside her.

Then, her face contorts in pain as she falls back onto the pillow, looking off into the distance. “I can’t stay, Murph.”

“What?”

Climbing off of her, I can’t believe what I’m hearing. It literally pains me to leave her body, like it’s the last time. “Why can’t you stay? Ruby will rent the room to you. You know she’s getting the house. Or you can stay at my place. I don’t care.” I’m rambling.

“Murph, I can’t stay. It’s complicated.”

“It’s complicated?”

She sits up and covers her naked body with the sheets. Her face is wet with tears.

I’m somewhere between shocked and enraged. No, desperate and scared. “You wanted me to open up. I told you what I want, and this is what you say? What the fuck changed?”

“Nothing. I just can’t do this with you, okay? I can’t be in this relationship. You open up today, but what about tomorrow.”

“Look me in the fucking eyes, Savannah.”

She shakes her head, biting her lip. “I told you. It was just about the sex. It’s over now, Murph. Just let it go.”

Her voice is strangled, like she’s about to start bawling. She jumps off the bed, grabbing her clothes off the floor and rushing toward the door.

“Wait,” I call, grabbing her arm and pulling her back to my body. She’s staring up at me, her lip trembling, waiting to hear me say something.

Say something, asshole.

But I don’t. The words get stuck. Those three little words that seem harmless enough, but I know that if I say them out loud and she leaves, I’ll never recover. Never.

Finally, she pulls away and leaves me, standing naked in my silent room.

Chapter 20