Marianne by Elizabeth Hammer (best books to read in life TXT) 📕

better than this. No way. She blew out her smoke in a sweet, steady stream. “I love you,” she said.

“And I love you,” he said. “It must be a lot, too, since I don’t want to kill you right now for scaring the crap out of me.”

“Yeah, I kinda wigged out. Sorry.”

“Yeah, you did,” he said. “And I think it was the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard.”

Marianne snuggled down into the blanket and pulled it up to her neck. “Nice try. Not one bit of that was adorable.”

“Baby, are you okay? Now you sound like you’re drugged.”

Marianne snorted. “Am I slurring or something?”

“A bit.”

She sat up and tapped out her cigarette on the bottom of her shoe. “I’m not surprised. I feel like I’m going to pass out and wake up with a huge hangover from all this.”

“As if you would know what a hangover feels like.”

Marianne laughed once.

“You should go to bed, I think,” he said. “Are you sleeping in Danielle’s room?”

“On the couch.” She’d actually been sleeping in his room, but she wasn’t about to admit that, too.

“Did you eat?”

“Yeah.” Or maybe she didn’t... she couldn’t remember, but she wasn’t hungry, in any case.

“Are you going to school tomorrow?”

Marianne coughed. “I’m not sure yet, Inspector.”

“Sorry.” Patrick laughed. “I’m just worried about you.”

“Don’t be.” Marianne stood up and took all the dead cigarettes to the trashcan on the side of the house. “I just need to make it to the bed, and then I’ll be fine. Maybe I’ll even watch a scary movie.”

“You’re alone; you should keep it to mildly creepy.”

She exhaled dramatically. “Yes, sir.”

“Oh, knock it off,” he said. “You had to leave the room during The Twilight Zone last week.”

“Fine!”

“Goodnight, baby. Thank you.”

“Goodnight.”

Marianne hung up and took all her stuff inside. She put her mug in the sink, the book on Patrick’s messy shelf, and the pack of cloves deep, deep within her duffel bag. She locked the back door, brushed her teeth, and lay down in Patrick’s bed to watch The Princess Bride. Patrick was right about the scary movies. She slipped off her shoes and pantyhose and chucked them across the room onto a heap of laundry. She curled up under the blankets and fell asleep with her halo still on.

20

One of the Classic Blunders

Marianne woke up abruptly and tried to roll over in bed. She couldn’t though, without bending the wire angel’s wings still attached to her back. She ripped them off by their Velcro and tossed them on the floor. The TV... Hadn’t she already seen this part of the movie tonight?

“Patrick?” she gasped.

He was leaning back in his swivel chair, using his jacket for a blanket, watching the beginning of the movie. He looked over at her with concern. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

She leaned up on her elbows. “What are you doing here? What time is it?”

“About four.”

She blinked at him through the darkness. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you. What the hell do you think?” He dropped his jacket on the floor and came to sit on the edge of the bed.

“How did you get home so fast?”

He smiled down at her and touched her halo. “It’s called speeding.”

Marianne grabbed his shirt and pulled him down till he was leaning awkwardly on top of her. He scooted toward the wall so he was on her other side, and she put her hand under his face on the pillow. “You’re cold.”

“I know.” He smiled. “This house has a heater, you know.”

“I feel funny turning it on.” The blanket was pinned between them and she yanked at it until he pulled the edge over himself. “You didn’t have to come back for me,” she said, putting her hand on his chest.

“I came home out of pure selfishness tonight, angel,” he whispered.

“Are you going to get in trouble?”

“Nah.” Patrick shook his head slightly against her hand. “They can finish without me. It’s only three more days.”

Marianne leaned forward and kissed him. Patrick put his hand behind her head and kissed her back. “Can I get a little sappy with you?” she said.

“Please.”

It was nice that he said yes, but nothing could have stopped her at this point. “You make me want to keep breathing.”

Patrick closed his eyes. Whatever he felt looked almost painful.

“I...” she paused, “I don’t get out of bed when you’re not here.” Marianne reached up and ran her fingers along his face. “I don’t eat properly.” She laughed quietly. “Everybody bugs me twice as much as usual.”

He opened his pretty brown eyes. “That’s awful.”

“Is it?”

“No.” He put his forehead against hers. “I don’t know.”

“Too creepy?”

He breathed a laugh and gripped her firmly around her waist over the blanket. “Just the opposite. That’s why it’s awful.” He exhaled. “I’m going to disappoint you.”

No, he wouldn’t. “That’s okay,” she said. “Disappointment is just a feeling.”

He smiled sideways at her. “You’re still mad at me for that, huh?”

“Forever.”

“And yet, you still love me.”

Marianne nodded. “Amazing, isn’t it?”

Patrick rolled his eyes and shoved her down on her back. “If you’re going to get snarky, I’ll make you take another nap.”

“Fine.” Marianne rolled over to face the other direction. “But I’m stealing your bed. I’m too cold to move.”

He kissed her hair. “Your ears are frozen.”

“Will you stay here with me a while?”

“You think I’d drive almost three hundred and fifty miles and then leave you after ten minutes?”

Marianne smiled at the TV. That great feeling from before came rushing right back. Warm and safe, her favorite movie playing, and Patrick right behind her. She could stay up all night just feeling it. Patrick brushed a few random pieces of hair off her neck and started kissing her behind the ear. Then down to the back of her neck. He bent his knee so that it touched her leg.

Oh, my... Her cozy little world was suddenly on crack. Alone in bed with her super sexy boyfriend. In an empty house. In the middle of the night.