Page 59 of Come Back to Me

My eyes grow wide until they meet his dark brown eyes. He weaves his fingers into mine, his eyes looking deep into my soul. “Dance with me.”

“I—”

He cuts me off as quickly as he can. “I’m not taking no for an answer, Angel.”

Pressing a button on his phone, Lizzy McAlpine’s angelic voice floods out of the bluetooth speaker that sits on the bar.

He moves us in between the dining room and the living room. Our hands are still intertwined, while his other hand finds a home on my lower back. His chest presses against mine, and I forget how to breathe like a normal human being. The spark of electricity I felt when I was a twelve-year-old girl bolts through his hand into my back.

“I haven’t done this in a long time,” I say.

“Haven’t done what?”

“Dance like this with you.”

His hand gently pushes my head to rest in the nape of his neck. My hands wrap around his waist, hugging him tightly.

This is not something friends do. At least, not this intimately.

“Violet.”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“Yes, I do.” He inhales and exhales. “I want you to know I don’t regret a single minute we spent together. I wish you would let me compartmentalize instead of rushing off and thinking the worst about me. I’m sorry if I ever made you think our relationship meant nothing to me. It meanteverythingto me.”

It meant everything to me, too.

“I know being friends isn’t going to be easy, but I’d do anything to have you back in my life again. If you just want to be friends, that’s totally fine. Can we establish something first?”

“Okay, what is it?”

“I know I said this to you already, but I’m saying it again. You’re not allowed to vanish from my life again. Do you promise?”

My lips quiver, and my breath hitches as I lift my head up. “I promise I won’t leave you. Besides, you have an Instagram post to be a part of if you lose the bet.”

A breathy laugh escapes his mouth. “Have you given any thought to what we’ll be doing for the post?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“Feel free to share them with the class when you figure it out.”

“I will.”

“Can we eat now?”

I nod. “Yes, please.” I walk over to the kitchen table and sit down on one of the chairs.

Grayson grabs our plates, placing one in front of me as he sits down across from me. Without a second thought, I pick up the sandwich and take a large bite out of it.

This is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.

As my gaze meets his, I realize he’s staring at me. My eyes wander from side to side, ultimately growing wide. “What?”

“I guess you’re hungry.”

“Having anxiety does that to a person.”

He shakes his head. “Stressdoes that to a person.Anxietydoes the opposite. Well, at least, that’s how the two work for me.” He takes a bite out of his sandwich, leaving half of it sitting on his plate.