The Hardest Fall

There was a four-second aftershock right at the tail end of my words. It was smaller than before but still noticeable. I buried my forehead in his chest and groaned.

“Shhh, it’s fine. You’re fine. It’s just a small one.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and closed my eyes tighter this time, my hand curling into a fist. His arms weren’t moving anymore, but he hadn’t let go of me either.

“And I don’t think you’re crazy. My mom is not a fan of earthquakes either.”

“Yeah? Would she jump into a stranger’s arms, too?”

His chest moved with silent laughter. “I thought we were friends. When did I turn from the best buddy to the stranger in this scenario? And to answer your question, she wouldn’t get to jump into a stranger’s arms because my dad would be right next to her, ready to catch her if she decided to faint or anything. She always clings to his hand for dear life.”

His gravelly voice helped me relax further.

“She faints?”

“Thankfully it hasn’t happened yet, but I wouldn’t put it past her. She always threatens us with it though.”

I waited a moment before I spoke again. “Scientists are expecting a mega-earthquake to hit California, right? The power is still out, and I feel like something bad is going to happen. What if this is it?”

He hummed for a few seconds, and I could feel the vibrations through his body. “Do you have any regrets? Maybe someone you’d want to ask for a kiss before an untimely demise?”

He surprised me enough that I tilted my head back to look up at him. Thanks to the new angle we were standing at, it was easier to make out his features in the dark, and I could definitely see the playful grin on his face.

“Yeah, nice try, but I don’t think so. I told you I’m made of tougher stuff when it comes to bets. I won’t back out that easily—though, if the building actually starts crumbling down, all bets are off and I’ll probably try to crawl right into you.”

This time his laughter was audible. “Okay, I’ll make sure to be ready for it.”

Thinking he must’ve been starting to feel weird or uncomfortable holding me, I dropped my hand from his chest and took that half step back again. As soon as his arms released me, my body temperature started to come down.

“How come you’re so calm anyway? Have you never watched 2012 or San Andreas? I just rewatched them last week so I’m thinking that’s not really helping at the moment.”

It sucked that I could feel exactly where his hands had held on to my body; it made me too aware of the fact that they were no longer around me.

“Is that why you’re so afraid of earthquakes? Because of the movies?”

“Who in the world wouldn’t be afraid of earthquakes? How can I not freak out about getting smooshed under a building?”

All of a sudden, my hand was in Dylan’s and he was staring down at them as if he wasn’t sure how it had happened when he was the one who had reached for it. His hand squeezed mine once, twice, and my heart rate picked up.

Shit. Slowly, as if my hand had a mind of its own, I stretched my fingers and linked them around his. It seemed like exactly what he was waiting for because before I could even process the butterflies in my stomach, he was pulling me toward the couch.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m dead on my feet, Zoe. I had a long day, and then the study session went longer than I expected, and I had to hit the weight room before I came here. I’m wiped out, so we need to sit.”

Oh.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled as he sank into the couch with a heavy sigh and pulled me down next to him.

“I should get up and look for a candle or something,” I mumbled and tugged my hand.

Instead of letting me go as I expected him to, he turned my hand in his then threaded his fingers through mine, palm to palm. Sitting at a weird angle, I stared at our hands, not sure what was happening. He lifted them and placed the back of my hand on his thigh. I tensed. Dropping his head to the back of the couch, he scooted a little lower.

“Stay. Let’s relax for a minute. Keep me company. The power will come back any minute now.”

Keep him company with his hand wrapped around mine? Sure, what the hell? What were friends for if not this? I already mentioned that I was an idiot, right? I was actually happy he hadn’t decided to go back to his room to crash, so I shifted in my seat, leaned back, and got comfortable next to him.

“Oh, and Zoe, no more of those movies for a while, yeah? Maybe stick to something that won’t scare you. You said you liked animated movies—those should be good.”

“Those usually make me cry,” I mumbled under my breath as I turned my eyes on him.

“I think…”

When I didn’t go on, he rolled his head toward me. Our eyes met in the moonlight and I flicked my gaze back up at the ceiling again.

“I think…it has something to do with you. I don’t act nearly this wacky around anyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I might come close, but not back to back, not like this.”

“So what you’re saying is that I’m a special friend, huh?”

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and saw he was still looking at me. I gazed at his temple. I remained silent, and he finally turned his head away.

“I like that,” he murmured in a low voice, and I thought it was safe to look again. His eyes were closed, so mine could roam every inch of his face to my heart’s content.

He groaned and arched his back, getting more comfortable. I couldn’t say the same for myself, but I didn’t move from my spot either. The alternative wasn’t appealing at all.

I felt something touch my leg and when I looked down, I saw Dylan’s thigh—which had been nowhere near mine just seconds before—lightly resting against mine.

“Did you have a good day?” I asked when he stayed silent.

“Yeah. Long one, but it was good. You?”

“Same. I was working before you came in, so maybe I should go back to that until the power comes back on and let you sleep—though I’ll have to wake you up if there’s another earthquake.”

A low chuckle. “Oh yeah?”

The rumble in his voice rendered me speechless. I closed my eyes and held back a moan.

“Just giving you a fair warning, that’s all.”

“Feel free to wake me up whenever you want. I won’t mind.”

I wasn’t going to comment on that one.

“Hey, Zoe?” he asked, his voice somewhere between husky and sleepy, heavier on the husky side.

“Yeah?” I croaked, not sounding nearly as sexy as he did. I was still trying to recover from what his voice was doing to me.

“Where is your boyfriend right now?”

Oh.

I stiffened and tried to pull my hand away from his, but I couldn’t break his hold.

“Why are you asking?”

“He’d know you’re scared of earthquakes, right? If he is your boyfriend, he knows. I just thought he’d call to see how you are by now. If my girlfriend was afraid of earthquakes, I’d be there for her.”

“I told you it was complicated.”

You’re such a little shit, Zoe.

“Okay. If you say so. I was just asking.”

Chapter Nine

Dylan

“Zoe? Can I ask you a big favor?”

She was sitting on the small rug in front of the coffee table, her favorite spot to sit when she was working on her laptop, it seemed. If she was watching a movie, her preference was different: snuggling up on the big leather couch.