His brow creases. “So you think if we spend the night together that will change something? Like having sex will get you out of this . . . time loop?”

“No.” I wave a hand. “Of course not.”

But even as the words trip out of my mouth, they come right back and slap me in the face. I’m lying. It’s exactly what I think, and it wasn’t until he spelled it out that I recognized I’ve been holding on to that hope.

But it’s not true. Sex isn’t going to solve anything, except maybe I won’t be so damn horny for Alex all the time. My gut knows it, instinct telling me a truth I didn’t want to accept.

His brows lift, waiting for me to pull myself together.

“Okay, yes. Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe if you just stay with me until morning? No, you know,” I wave a hand, “penetration involved?”

He laughs. “Have you tried staying up all night? On your own, or with anyone else?”

“I have, by myself. It doesn’t work.” I blow out a breath. “I’ve also tried sleeping in my closet. Nothing works. If I stay awake, I black out and it’s not a fun feeling, and then I wake up on the seventh again. You’re the . . . you’re the first person I’ve told. Except a weird teenager and I didn’t invite her over.”

“In your closet?”

I shrug. “The closet is magic.”

His brow furrows. “Uh . . .”

I’m making this worse.

I shake my head. “It’s too much to explain. Just trust me, staying up doesn’t work.”

But another thought knocks me upside the head. What if Alex does stay the night and then he gets stuck in the loop with me? That’s not fair to him. The truth is, I don’t know what will happen either way, and I can’t put this on someone else.

He can’t save me. I have to save myself. It’s always been about me.

“Hmm.” He rubs his chin. “So it’s likely that even if I do stay the night with you, you’ll just black out and I’ll end up back home like God hit a giant reset button.”

I shrug. “Anything is possible at this point.”

He nods, thoughtful.

I move closer. “The thing is, I like you. You like me. And for me, we’ve been dating and kissing a lot. This isn’t the first night we talked and spent time together.” I step into him. “It’s not the first time I’ve figured out that you like it when I bite you a little, right here.” I lean in. His hands lift to my shoulders, squeezing gently when I move closer and press my lips against the corner where his neck meets his shoulder.

He shivers. “Jane.” My name is a breath hissed between his teeth.