DARE-TO-LOVE-TRUTH-AND-DARE-DUET-COLLECTION-by-Lylah-James-pdfarchive

Maddox buried his face in my shoulder. His body went
slack, and I felt him soft snores against my skin. The
heaviness of him sank into me like a warm blanket, and for
a brief moment, I imagined how it’d be to fall asleep in his
arms every night and to wake up next to him, just like this.
As much as the fantasy was sweet, it would only have a
bitter ending.
My fingers slid through his hair, my nails grazing the
back of his neck softly, just the way he liked it. My lips
parted, wanting to whisper my secret, but I felt choked.
The heart is a traitor, and, in that moment, I could feel all
my defenses crumbling to the ground.
Maddox grumbled something under his breath, and it
sounded like my name. His arm tightened around my hip,
and my arms curled around his shoulders as a lone tear slid
down my cheeks. I didn’t want to let go… but I had to.
“If I love you, I give you the power to destroy me. I’m
not strong enough for that. I can’t be just another girl to
you, Maddox. I need to be more; I deserve more, and I
don’t think you can give that. I can’t risk us and what we
are. We’re beautiful… just like this. Friends.”
I prayed Maddox woke up in the morning with no
memory of what we had just done.
I’d take this secret to my grave, and I would bear this
guilt on my own.