Instead, as she moved toward the door to leave I wrestled with the desire to follow her.
Give her space.Give yourself space.
It was good advice that I ignored.I launched out of my booth forcing myself to maneuver through the crowd at a reasonable pace and not move people out of my way.Just because I could didn’t mean that I should.The route gave me time to put together what to say.There were three basic points: none of this was her fault, I would do a better job giving her distance, but I was still in love with her.
The last sentiment was a bit sticky.I was prepared to read the room, but I didn’t know how I could tell her the other two points without the context of the last point.
Alicia was a few feet from her car with her keys in her hand, when I exited the building.Jogging, I closed the distance between us and called her name.She turned, her arms crossed under her breasts, pushing them up against the V-neck of her sweater and all my thoughts burned out of my mind.Sizzling into nothing as I came to a stop about five feet away from her.I shoved my hands in my pocket to keep from reaching out, she looked cold and soft and ...boobs.
Fuck.
She shivered once, her brown eyes silently nudging me.
“Shit, sorry,” I said but I wasn’t sure what I was apologizing for.
“It’s okay, what’s up?”Her body shuddered again.
I gripped the bottom of my thermal shirt and tugged it free from my jeans before even considering my actions.
“What are you doing?”she demanded through chattering teeth.
“Giving you my shirt.”
“No, don’t”—she cut off as I pulled the clothes over my head.
Shaking my hair out of my eyes, I was more aware of the cold now that I was only in a thin, white T-shirt.I held the thermal toward her overly aware of her parted lips and her gaze moving from my chest, to my shoulders, to my biceps.With slow distracted movements, she took the garment from me and tugged it over her head.
She had to be freezing still.So, I needed to say what was necessary and put the needed distance between us.But finalizing my scattered thoughts into a cohesive statement, wasn’t going well.Helpfully, when my shirt settled on her shoulders there might be an inch or two of her skin below her clavicle showing.Less distractions.
The top of her head broke through the neckline like fire burning through ash.The tips of her fingers curled over the ends of the shirt sleeves and hugged the fabric against her chest.She brought the collar to her nose and breathed in lowering her eyelids for the barest moment, casting a spell and stealing my breath.
We stood stock still.
I was lost in a slide show of the times she’d bewitched me.
The first moment I’d laid eyes on her as a freshman in undergrad.Pulling away from her after our first kiss with my heart pounding too loudly in my ears.Her chin high as she wore her white wedding gown, the distance between us closing step by step and I knew at the soul of my being I’d never stop loving her.
How right that young man had been.
“Remi?”she spoke, her voice a soft mist of steam.
“Yeah,” I managed.
“What do you need?”
You.
I ran a hand down my face, letting it rest over my heart.
What did I need?
I had no idea, anymore.
Clearing my throat, I took a step back.“Uh ...”Inside my mind, I scavenged through dusty corners to bring forward any thought that might be helpful in that moment.Because even though I’d followed after her hoping to gain distance, it was the last thing I wanted.
“Uh ...”I said again before snapping my fingers when the idea came to me.“Your petition.I’ll put a copy at the clinic; can’t believe I didn’t think to offer sooner.”
The smile spread across her face looked a little relieved.“Thank you, that’d be a huge help.”
