Chapter 42

I wake up in Grant’s arms. In his cartoon sheets. In his arms. In love.

“This is nice,” I mutter and snuggle deeper against him.

“It is nice.” Grant chuckles and pulls me even closer as he kisses the top of my head. “You know, the first time you came over, I nearly had a panic attack thinking about you seeing my place. I was so afraid that you’d think I was a dork.”

I put my cheek against his bare chest and listen to the steady thrum of his heart. It beats in time with my own—a rhythm shared only by us two.

“I did think you were a dork. But it’s probably my favourite thing about you.”

Grant squeezes me tighter. I squeak out a protest, even though I love it.

“How did I get so lucky?” His chest rumbles as he speaks the words, vibrating through me. His voice makes my toes curl. I still want him. Even after our little post-pre-morning-breakfast sex, I still want him.

I just can’t get enough of him.

Scooching up on him, I take his face between both my hands. “How did we get so lucky,” I correct. “All our luck is countered by our extreme bad luck of being stuck in a time loop and nearly dying constantly.”

“Bad luck?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Extremely bad luck.”

“You think being stuck in this time loop is bad luck?”

I pause. He can’t be serious, can he? “Of course it is. Doomed to repeat doing the same thing over and over again for maybe eternity.”

I stare at Grant, bobbing my head for effect. He stares back.

“Yeah,” he says, adjusting me so that I’m grinding against his generous morning wood. “Doing the same thing over and over again.” He smacks my ass once for emphasis.

My poor, overdrawn hormones beg me not to argue the point. But I do.

I always do.

“This is nice and all—” Grant coughs and looks at me pointedly. “Very nice,” I correct. “Just, not for forever. If we don’t find a way out of this, we could be doing this for eternity. Restarting is hard enough already. I can’t imagine the pain of having your mom look at me like we’re meeting for the first time again and again. Or knowing that if I don’t put Dominic in his place, he gets to live his day like he’s a king.

“This—us—is amazing, but it can’t be my whole life. I need to do something with my life. I need meaning. And nothing means anything if everything disappears.”

The truth of what I’ve said settles over me like a November frost.

If I don’t find a way out of this time loop, nothing I ever do will be of any importance. Every endeavour I ever pursue will be dust in the wind. Every injustice I manage to right will slunk back to its selfish start.

There’s a good chance I’ll go crazy.

“We will find a way out,” Grant promises. “Who knows? Maybe it’s already broken. If this were a movie, saving Rhiannon would probably get us out of it.”

I nod, still existentially crisis-ing.

“Hey Sunshine,” Grant hedges after a little while. “Is it okay if I’m okay with this being it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m not like you. If this is all there ever is, me getting to love you—inside or outside a time loop—I’m happy with that. No, I’m ecstatic. I’m just so happy with every part of my dumb life. I love meals with my mom and game night with my friends. Plus, there’s the whole supernatural, laser-enhanced love thing I have going for you.

“I want the best part of my day to be making you smile when you come home. I don’t need to make my mark on the world. I’m never going to be the guy I pretended to be to impress you when we first met. I’m not spandex and world-saving. I’m comfy and content. I’m never going to make the big bucks or be super cool.”

Oh Grant. Sweet Grant.

“That’s okay because I will. Well, maybe not the super cool part, but I will make the big bucks. I want to stomp all over town feeling important and gloating over all the good I’ve done. I don’t need you to be anything other than you—goofy, dorky, extremely hot, and loving. You’re more than enough, Grant. I hope this workaholic robot is good enough for you.”

“More than enough.”

The kiss he gives me on the nose is soft.

His morning wood is hard and getting harder.

With a question in his eyes, Grant raises an eyebrow at me.

I start to protest—what if his mother hears us?—but then, as his hands slide over my ass and he rubs me against his erection, I decide that the likelihood of this being our final time loop day is very minimal.

Besides, Shelly already thinks we’re into some kinky role-playing, so what’s a morning quickie?

“Yeah, alright,” I moan. “Just an orgasm apiece and then I have to go confront an evil villain.”

Grant’s head disappears underneath the covers as he traces a trail of kisses down my stomach. His fingers have already found that special place inside me that fires off electricity all over my body by the time his mouth is on my clit.

“Maybe two,” I amend.

After all, it’s his time loop, too. I want to crush the evil of the world with my scathing tongue while he wants to make me come again and again on his dexterous one. Who am I to deny him what he wants?