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"I’ve never been haunted by a girl the way you haunt me, Charlie Easton It wasn’t because I hadn’t had you, or because I knew I shouldn’t That knowledge and everything I felt scared the shit out ofto put an end to it So, yes, I fucked up I will apologize forever if I have to, but know that I’ve never hated myself, or how I am, more than I did that day And you? All I saas you, more than ever"

One of his hands slowly fell from the wall back to my cheek, and he pulled back to look into ht depths

"Hurting you has killed et it now Maybe with everyone else, but I’ve never been ainst the hen he pushed away, and after another second, he turned and stepped away

I needed to let hiuy like Deacon Carver would only do what Ben had done, andin protest the loss of his touch, and I’d only lost it seconds ago

Step step

I sed past the tightness inat the floor

Step

I pushed down all ofmy mind on a whim, and said, "This is usually the part of the book where the hero kisses the girl"

Silence

"I don’t kno to be that hero, Charlie Girl"

I slowly liftedwith each exaggerated breath, hands slightly flexing like he didn’t knohat to do with theuy, I would only hurt you more" But even as he spoke the words, he took a couple steps back toward me "I can’t compete hatever it is you read"

If only he knew that he wasn’t so different

I lifted a shoulder "This is also a house of superheroes"

Deacon sed and warned and proht,with anticipation

"Now that I can compete with"

He ate up the distance in two steps, and pulled me from the wall as his ainst the s our bodies closer and closer, the other curled around th and tenderness

I clung to his shirt as ourto hold on to this kiss that was everything

Everything I’d drea I’d never had

Because Deacon was holdingto hold hiainst ue hesitantly brushed against the sea chaos within my body

My mouth opened with an inhale, and a soft ue met mine in a perfect dance The push and pull, the desperation and need, all in a space that felt as though time would stand still at any moment