#Chapter 38: Damage Control

DEREK I could still feel her. It was maddening—how her scent clung to my skin like a phantom, how the weight of her hand in mine lingered long after the music stopped. Even now, in the still quiet of my bedroom, I could feel the way her fingers had curled instinctively around mine during that slow, ridiculous dance. I could hear the uneven hitch of her breath when I’d pulled her closer. Could see the way she’d looked up at me like she wanted to trust me—just for a second—but didn’t dare. I lay back against the headboard, bare-chested, hair still damp from the shower, staring at the ceiling like it had answers. She hated me. Or wanted to. I wasn’t sure there was a difference anymore. But for those few minutes, under the soft shimmer of wedding lights, it hadn’t mattered. She’d melted into my embrace on the dance floor. I felt it. For a few glorious minutes… I could even now hear the soft strum of the guitar, the low tenor of the singer’s voice. Love struck Romeo, sang