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Chapter Seven

September 21, 2013

Eli

PULLING MY TRUCK to a stop in front of Paisley’s building, I rubbed atout I hadn’t slept last night--not that I’d slept ht I’d tried propping up the pillows the way Paisley always did, but it wasn’t the same without her

I shut and locked the door behind me, and took slow steps toward her apartain

I knew I’d been an ass the night before, but seeing hi not to throw soonna throw this heavy table, and you’re gonna like it Paisley didn’t want soht for her She wanted someone to love her the way she loved the

A sharp inhale hadthere in front ofsoftly around her face and past her shoulders, too-full lips barely opened, and looking as short and perfect as ever

She was perfect Why had that takento notice?

"Paisley," I breathed

"Why are you here?" she asked through clenched teeth

"Because I love you, and I need--"

"You can’t just decide that now that I’ to be happy, Eli! You can’t co er was so

"I do miss you, Pay," I admitted as I closed the distance between us She took a few steps back, and I took another forward--capturing her face in"But I’ to ruin your happiness I know I’ve done that oddae," she chastised softly

"But this isn’t aboutafraid to loseso terrified that I’ to ever happen to me"

She sed hard and tried to turn her head, and when my hands wouldn’t let her, she shut her eyes

"You can’t do this to --I laid a decade worth of secrets and feelings out on the table, and you did not reciprocate one of those I get that I kind of just threw everything on you all at once I get that I blindsided you withet what you told et how horrified you looked when I told you that I loved you And it’s because of that ie that is stuck innow--no matter how hout that, and somehow that fact made this harder Because it just confirmed how badly I’d hurt her if she couldn’t even look at s