Seth’s fingers brushed over my arm, drawing my attention. Our eyes met. His hand wrapped around my wrist and he dragged me down so that I was half on top of him.

Oh, I liked where this was heading.

His chest was warm under my arms and his hand was steady as he reached up, catching a few strands of my hair. He tucked it back behind my ear and his hand lingered, cradling my cheek. I lowered my mouth to his and kissed him softly. When I lifted my head, his eyes were iridescent.

“I liked that,” he murmured.

“So did I.” Then I remembered something super important. I hadn’t really forgotten. It had just slipped my mind in the wake of the nightmare. A big goofy smile tugged at my lips. “I think you get more today.”

He slid his hand around to the nape of my neck. “I think I should get more every day.”

“Of course you do, but today is different.”

Understanding rippled across his features, a slight widening of his eyes and nostrils. A moment of surprise, and seeing that caused pain to flicker through my chest, because he hadn’t expected me to remember.

Seth expected so very little sometimes.

Pushing away the welling sadness that realization always brought with it, I kissed him again. And then once more, because I wanted to show him, I needed him to know that he had every right to expect the world. “Happy birthday.”

“Josie . . .”

The way he whispered my name, so tender and potent, made my breath catch. “So, what’s it feel like to be twenty-two?”

Threading his fingers through my hair, he didn’t answer immediately. “Feels like twenty-one.”

“That’s not exciting.”

He grinned again. “That’s because you’re still twenty and have what? About six months to go before you’re twenty-one.”

“You’re a cradle-robber.”

Seth chuckled and then lifted his head, kissing the corner of my lips. “I think that’s the first time I’ve been called that.”

“Good.” I smoothed my hand over his chest, enjoying the way he sucked in a sharp breath. I loved that my touch affected him so. “I wanted to get you something, but Amazon doesn’t really deliver out here, so . . .”

I really did want to get him something, but since it wasn’t particularly safe for me to leave, the only option was the campus store, but I doubted Seth wanted a Covenant University mug or hoodie. I couldn’t even make him dinner since I had no access to a kitchen, so I was a lame girlfriend.

Girlfriend.

I shivered.