“Me neither.” I start to think that this conversation is going to be for naught. She just wants to be friends, and I'm okay with that, as much as I love her.
“It’s kind of scary, though.”
I tilt my head. “Why’s that, darlin’?”
“Because of our history.”
“Which part?”
“The part where we slept together.”
I give her a ‘level with me’ look. “What happened in the past is there, darlin’. Nothing we can do about that. And no sense thinking it was a mistake, either. We were in love and there’s nothing wrong with making love with someone you love, sweetheart.”
She's silent for a beat, absorbing that.
“I just don’t want to screw up what we have now.”
“By sleeping together?”
She nods.
“Nothing to worry about then. Nothing happened that we didn’t want to happen then, and that hasn’t changed.”
She doesn’t seem convinced. Her gaze is on the ground.
“Hey, what’s going on in there?” I ask, searching her face.
She hesitates, but then after I shut up and let her think, she speaks. “Just...dealing with some old ghosts I guess.”
“Oh yeah? Your daddy tell you something gruesome about teenage boys?”
She nods, not looking at me. “Something like that.”
“I tell you what. I love you enough to tell you that I'll take you in whatever form I can, darlin’. You being in my life again, especially after all the bullshit, well that’s saying something. I’m not ashamed or afraid to tell you that I love you more now than before, either. But I love you enough to tell you that nothing’s going to happen that y’all don’t want to happen. I promise you that.”
She takes a moment to digest, as her gaze is divided between both my eyes. “I love you, too, Gunner. I always did and I always will. You’ve given me more than anyone has my entire life, with the exception of Felicia. And I mean that. I just don’t want to screw up what we have by complicating things. Not now. Not after losing each other once already.”
“It’s okay, darlin’. What we have is what we have and I’ll take it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Sure, I'm sure.” I say with conviction. I rise and place my hand on Chocolate’s flank. “I swear on this here horse.”
She smiles at me. “You’re too cute for words.”
I wink at her. “You ready to ride some more, or is your hind end singing over there?”
“I’ll ride more.”
***
Ava
I watch Felicia packing up a suitcase and I ask. “What are you doing? Going on a trip?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact.” She smiles. “I’m going to a teacher’s conference in Boston tomorrow. I’ll be gone a week.”
“Wow, your students are going to miss you.”
