Until she sees that, it won’t matter what I do to help. She’ll always be hurting inside.
But she doesn’t see that. She only sees her mistakes, her addiction.
“What is it?” she whispers.
That’s not an easy question. How do I guide her in one direction without her sprinting defiantly in the other? But I can’t stand idly by and let her berate herself because she thinks she isn’t worth more.
Because she’s worth everything to me.
The way I feel about her is more than just liking or caring for someone. It’s all consuming down to my core. She’s my sweet craving and one that’s impossible to ignore.
I reach down to cup her jaw, gathering my courage. Her skin is dry, but the hint of strawberries swirls in the air around her.
“You are so beautiful, inside and out. Even if you don’t see it, I do.”
Her lips part in surprise.
“I’m having a difficult time keeping my distance. My eyes are always drawn to you. When you used to enter the bar, it was like the sun entering the room, dazzling and bright,leaving everyone else in shadows. I didn’t understand it before, but I do now.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I know you don’t like me that way. I’ve heard it loud and clear. But it doesn’t mean I can turn these feelings off like a light switch. Trust me, this is overwhelming and new to me too. Give me time?—”
She steps up on the bottom rung of the ladder, grabs a fistful of my shirt, and drags my mouth to hers. The tension between us explodes like fireworks, my hands digging into her damp hair as our lips hungrily devour each other. It’s what I’ve been aching to do since the first kiss on the bus. But the fact she initiated it? I’m absolutely lost in her, and I never want to be found again.
As quickly as the kiss started, it ends. She pulls back, wide eyed.
“I . . . shouldn’t have done that.”
Her words punch me in the gut, leaving me breathless.
“Don’t say that.”
I reach for her, but she is already across the motorhome like a wild animal, searching for an escape route. Before she can bolt out the door, I’m there, wrapping my arms around her.
“Talk to me.”
Covering her face with her hands, she groans. “This room is too small. There’s nowhere to go.”
“I’m here.”
I curl my arms around her, tucking her in close. Her body trembles against me, an uncontrollable vibration that breaks my heart. She’s been through so much.
“Breathe, Reese.”
Instant relief hits me the moment her arms wrap around me, clutching the fabric of my shirt in desperation. I rock usback and forth, waiting to speak until the wild beats of her heart start to slow.
“It’s okay,” I say, closing my eyes as her muscles relax one by one.
“Why do you always rescue me?” she murmurs into the collar of my shirt.
“Because I don’t think I could handle life without you in it.”
She squeezes me slightly. “That’s a pretty good answer. Is that from one of your audiobooks?”
I pull back so she can see the truth on my face. “No, Reese. It’s like I told you before. I care about you. I thought maybe you didn’t like me, but after that last kiss... I think you’re not being honest to either of us.”
“I’m... scared, I guess.” She winces at her admission, then buries her face in my shirt. “Our lives are so connected that I’m worried I’ll mess things up like I always do.”
