Sunshine Kisses

When Abby returned from the bathroom, he tucked them in, pulling her back tightly against his chest after he turned out the light.

‘Hey, Erik?’ Abby struggled to get the words out, sleep threatening to take her. ‘I like that you’re calling me baby, but don’t stop calling me Sunshine, okay? Even if I cut off all my hair and dye it black.’

He huffed softly into her neck, leaving a trail of butterfly kisses. ‘It was never about your hair, Sunshine.’

She thought he said one more thing before she slipped into the darkness feathering at her consciousness.

‘It’s always been you.’

Chapter 20

Apple Pie – Lizzie McAlpine

F

or the second time in a week, Abby woke up with her best friend’s arms wrapped around her waist. But this time, he was nuzzling the back of her neck, hot lips pressed into her skin. And they were both very, very naked, a fact she only became more aware of when she turned to face him, their bodies lining up not unlike they had the night before. A flush spread up her cheeks as Erik pushed even closer, leaning in to kiss her.

‘I still can’t believe I get to just…do that,’ he said, voice rough with sleep.

‘You don’t just get to,’ Abby said happily. ‘It’s highly encouraged.’

Erik smiled, a soft curve that wrinkled his still closed eyes. ‘You’re so beautiful.’

She laughed, wriggling to bury her face in his chest. ‘You can’t even see me.’

‘Don’t need to. I’ve been looking for years,’ he mumbled.

‘I thought you were the morning person. Why are you so groggy?’ Abby asked, poking his side.

‘I’m only a morning person because I can never fucking sleep. So when the sun gets up, I get up. But that was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in about ten years.’

She’d never experienced sleepy, grumbly Erik. It was remarkably adorable, and her heart skipped at the knowledge that even with all the years of history between them, this shift in their relationship would still give her new things to discover.

‘It’s probably time for breakfast,’ Abby reminded him.

Erik reached behind him and handed Abby his phone. ‘Text my mum and tell her we’re still feeling sick. My body has just learned what rest is and it wants more.’

‘You’re not worried about me going through your phone?’

‘Go for it. All you’re gonna find is texts to Alex about how pretty you’ve looked this week. Now shhh.’

Within seconds, Erik’s breathing had deepened, his chest rising and falling against hers. After texting Nora, she snuggled back into his arms and let herself drift off with him.

When Abby came to again, she was aware of the bed feeling empty around her, and a rumbling sound in her ears.

Blinking her eyes open, she was greeted with the welcome sight of a still naked Erik as he measured coffee grounds into the small plunger on the desk. There hadn’t been nearly enough time to appreciate how gorgeous his body was the night before, she thought, cataloguing every line on his back—including the pink scratches her nails had left.

Erik lifted his head, meeting her eyes in the mirror, and smiled at the sight of her propped on her elbows, drinking him in.

‘Morning, Sunshine. Almost afternoon, I guess.’

She glanced at her phone. It was a few minutes before noon. After their talk on the roof and everything that had happened after, they’d only gone to sleep around one in the morning.

As he deposited her coffee on the bedside cabinet, he dropped a quick kiss on her forehead, and even after everything they had done the previous day, the soft, familiar gesture set her heart fluttering. Her eyes continued to track every inch of him until he climbed back into bed beside her. ‘You’re being weird.’

‘Says the person who spent his whole life staring at me any chance he got?’

‘You weren’t naked.’