I pull her to the next tree, because she needs to hear me. Really hear me. Her back to the trunk, I engulf her in my arms and indulge in a nuzzle against her neck.
“You think you can stop after one night? I know for a fact I can’t.”
Instead of agreeing with me, she averts her gaze and changes the subject.
“I talked to my mom today. Before I went downstairs.”
“Did something bad happen?” I hope not. The last thing her parents need is more struggles.
“No, nothing like that. Let’s talk about it after Christmas. It’s not an emergency or anything.”
She’s down to a whisper. Not a good sign.
“You’ve got me worried. Talk to me. Whatever the issue is, I’m here for you. We’ll figure things out together.”
“God, Dex, seriously? Why are you so damn helpful and considerate all the time?” Her eyes are wide and her cheeks flushed. “I thought you were an amazing friend. It turns out you’re a perfect husband, too! What the fuck?”
“You hear yourself, right?” I laugh and she joins me. I see the moment Sabrina decides to confide in me.
“She was super excited about news she got from the lawyer. There’s been a shift in the defense’s strategy. They’ve been playing hardball but reached out for a meeting after Christmas. It’s a good sign that a reasonable settlement is around the corner.”
“That’s awesome, right?”
“Is it?” she asks, her forehead crinkled in worry. “Why did we go through everything if the resolution was around the corner?”
“What are you talking about?”
“This! Everything you’re doing for me.” Sabrina raises both arms to her sides, gesturing at god knows what.
“Sabrina, I don’t see a problem. We do things for each other all the time.”
“Dex, all the risks and the lying and the pretense. How could I make you do so much for me when what I should have done was wait a little longer? The payout would cover all my medical bills.”
“Are you telling me that if the settlement came, you wouldn’t have . . .” I can’t even say it.
“Why would I force you to marry me?”
“Force me?”
Is she kidding right now? I bite my tongue because I’m liable to say something loud and crass.
“You could be with anybody,” she mumbles. “My injuries and the uncertainty of my health and career, you shouldn’t have to worry about that. I dragged you into this, and I shouldn’t have.”
“No one dragged me into anything. You couldn’t be more wrong.”
“You say that because you’re a good man.”
I press our bodies together, her softness pliant between my heavy groin and the tree trunk. “Would a good man put you on your knees and fuck you till you can’t think straight?”
I sound like an asshole, but I don’t care. I’m getting upset. For some reason, I want her to be just as pissed. This conversation is so wrong, I’d rather have a fight.
Instead of matching my vehemence, Sabrina’s eyes soften.
“Yes, Dex. Even when you put me on my knees and fuck me so hot my brain cells get fried, you’re somehow still thinking about me. Caring about me. So damn good to me.”
Her voice trails off, so I barely hear her say, “Too good for me.”
I’ve had enough.
