#Chapter 210: Intimacy

Iris Miles has been asleep for hours now. Cliff has long since left, trudging downstairs to his own apartment. The apartment is quiet, save for the soft crackle of the record player in the corner of the living room, and Arthur and I are far from sleeping ourselves. We sway slowly to the soft music, our feet barely moving across the hardwood floor. This feels like old times, happy days when we used to dance just like this to the same music. “I’ve missed this,” Arthur murmurs into my hair. “I’ve missed you.” I tilt my head up to look at him. “It was too quiet here without you,” I murmur, and it’s true. Even Miles was subdued while Arthur was gone. For a moment, we just look at each other. The amber lamplight casts soft shadows across Arthur’s face, highlighting the angles of his jaw, the curve of his lips, the depths of his green eyes. Then, without a word, he leans down and presses his lips to mine. The kiss is gentle at first, almost hesitant, but i