DASHIELL
I meant to stay awake, but the last thing I remembered was deciding that before something warm brushed across my cheek.
When I opened my eyes, Alexander was crouched beside the couch with one hand against my face and his thumb moving beneath my eye. His hair was messy, but he looked fine.
The relief lasted about two seconds before I remembered he had disappeared for hours without telling me where he was going.
I sat up. "Where were you?"
"You should be asleep."
"I was. Then I woke up and you were gone."
His eyes moved over my face before dropping to the phone beside my thigh and the socks still on my feet.
"Where were you?"
"I had something to deal with."
"That doesn't tell me where you were."
A faint smirk started at the corner of his mouth, and I narrowed my eyes. "Don't."
I picked up my phone and held it toward him. "I called you seven times."
"I couldn't answer."
"You couldn't, or you chose not to?"
He took just long enough that I had my answer.
"You chose not to."
"Yes."
I stared at him. "Do you have any idea what I did when you ignored me? I went outside looking for you."
Alexander's eyes dropped straight to my bare legs and the socks still covering my feet.
"You went outside like this?"
"I was not thinking about trousers."
"Dashiell—"
"No." I pulled my leg away when he touched my knee. "You don't get to worry about that when you're the reason I was outside in the first place."
Alexander moved from his crouch to sit beside me, and all the anger I had spent hours building did nothing to stop me from climbing onto his lap. My arms went around his neck as I pressed my face into his shoulder, and he caught me around the waist and pulled me closer.
"You're an asshole."
Alexander's hand moved into my hair while I looked him over properly. There was no blood on him, nothing torn and no sign that he had been hurt, which eased some of the pressure in my chest without fixing the fact that he was still avoiding the question.
"Where were you?"
His fingers brushed my hair away from my forehead. "Dealing with something that required my attention."
"What?"
"Something I don't want you involved in."
My stomach pulled tight. "Was it about me?"
He gave me nothing, and I said his name more firmly.
"It's handled."
"What is?"
His hand moved to the back of my neck. "Nothing."
I frowned. "You can't say that and expect me not to ask questions."
"I don't."
"Then tell me."
"No."
He leaned in to kiss between my eyebrows, but I moved my head back before he reached me.
"No. You don't get to kiss me instead of answering."
His hand stayed at the back of my neck as he watched me, and I held his gaze.
"Did you hurt someone?"
His hand went still at the back of my neck, and that was enough to make my heart beat faster.
"Alexander."
"You don't need the details."
"I disagree."
His expression didn't change. "You're still not getting them."
I frowned. "This isn't funny."
"I'm not laughing."
His hand came beneath my jaw, keeping my face turned toward him.
"You don't need the details," Alexander said.
"I disagree."
His expression stayed calm. "You're still not getting them."
I frowned at him. "This isn't funny."
"I'm not laughing."
Alexander slid a hand beneath my jaw and kept my face turned toward him.
"Nothing that happened tonight is coming near you," he said. "You're safe, and I'm home."
I pulled back slightly. "And to you, that fixes everything?"
"Yes," Alexander said without hesitation.
I frowned. "What about what matters to me? You knew I would worry."
"I knew waking you meant telling you where I was going, and I wasn't going to do that."
"That still doesn't make leaving like that okay." My voice came out quieter now. "You could have given me something. A message. One answered call. Anything."
Alexander's arm tightened around my waist. "I should have."
I had been ready for him to argue, and the simple admission left me quiet as he drew me closer until there was barely any space between us. His mouth pressed against my temple and stayed there for a moment, warm against my skin, while I let myself sink into him despite still being angry.
"I missed you."
Alexander looked far too pleased by that, so I gave him a warning look before he could say anything.
"I don't want to wake up like that again."
Alexander rested his forehead against mine. "I won't leave without telling you again."
"And if you can't answer your phone?"
"I'll tell you beforehand."
I studied his face for a moment before nodding. "Okay."
Alexander kissed me before I could say anything else, one hand sliding behind my neck as his mouth opened over mine. I kissed him back just as hard, gripping the front of his shirt and pulling him closer until his chest pressed against mine.
His tongue brushed mine, slow at first and then deeper when I opened for him, and I was still chasing his mouth when something unfamiliar caught beneath the smell of soap and his cologne.
I pulled back slightly and leaned toward his collar.
"You smell strange."
Alexander watched me while I checked his collar again, and that was when I noticed the shirt.
"You showered somewhere."
He still gave me nothing, so I looked more closely. The shirt was similar to what he normally wore, but it was not the one he had been wearing when he put me to bed.
I knew his clothes well enough to be certain.
"You changed too."
His hand stayed at my waist while I looked back at him. "You're not going to tell me."
"No."
I exhaled through my nose and climbed off his lap, but Alexander caught my wrist before I could get far.
"Where are you going?"
"Upstairs. Since you refuse to tell me anything useful, I'm going back to bed."
Alexander released my wrist, and I headed for the stairs. I made it a few steps before realizing I couldn't hear him behind me and turned around.
"Are you coming, or do I have to wonder where you are again?"
"I'm coming," Alexander said as he crossed toward me.
"Then stay where I can see you."
I turned back toward the stairs and continued upstairs with his footsteps close behind me.