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I’ve gone and done it now One week until I have to leave for Chicago and I’ve discoveredback after that? If I close my eyes and focus on the insane physical response Shane seeh A week of stolen uy, no coet over a breakup, consider me a little closer every time Shane rollsmy expression to see what I like Good God

Then I openbetween his brow, even in sleep I feel the hand grabbing onto me like a lifeline I hear his heartbeat under my ear and know every beat has a wealth of pain behind it And I know leaving is going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done

Carefully, I slip out froers off my shirt one by one I actually have to wave away the et a lot of use last night, but capturing this , is suddenly important to me Even if I don’t want to admit why There’s also a certainty inat these pictures for the rest of et them developed

When I stand and I can actually see above the layer ofto spread over the bay If I listen really hard, I can hear the boats creaking as they sway on the water People areon the docks in the distance, fisher ready to start work The sky looksfaintly on the surface of the gray water below

I know landscapes aren’tAll I can do it point and click, hoping even an ounce of the nificence translates onto film Most likely, it will be up to my memory to do it justice After a few minutes, I lower the camera to my side and look back at Shane He’s still asleep, his hand reaching out beside hi over him, he looks like a dream A fantasy I made up inside my head Soon, that’s all he’ll be

I ith myself for a second, then raise the camera and take the picture

Shane’s eyes open slowly and he starts a little, before focusing on me I watch in fascination as he sits up and scrubs a hand over his messy hair His face is covered in scruff and his shirt is on backward fro pulled on in the darkness ere both exhausted I i his sheets I want to take that picture, too Want to see hie of his day

I wonder what I look like to hiains his feet and comes toward me slowly He slides his calloused hands up intodown to kiss me sweetly, he takes the camera from my hand Then with an indescribable look on his face, he steps back and takes my picture Autoaze I’ve never been co on the other side of the lens

Shane lowers the caet to act shy after last night I won’t allow it"

His sleep-roughened voice sends goose bu up my arms It’s not that I’m shy Technically, it’s more of a reluctance to see what other people see when they look at ht now I’m not sure I want to have that captured in my own camera "Yeah? How do you plan to stop me?"

He rolls my words around in his mouth "Why don’t I reht?" His voice goes even s to ed How I really didn’t want you to stop"

If I were alone, I would close s and squeeze The way he’s looking atthe ito hide I’m aware of every part of my body My hair doesn’t feel like a juers have just been in it and there is nothing hotter than that I know e up into a satisfied s ht, I feel so that’s been tied up in knots forever withoutbut e Without a second’s hesitation, I curl ers under the he me topless Very slowly, I walk toward Shane At first, he can only watchin and out, heart in his eyes Then he raises the ca snaps ofis honest Real It’s me

When I reach him, I take the caat his sides, as if he wants to reach out and grab me, but he senses I own the moment "Willa, you’re so bloody beautiful, I can’t stand it"

Using his shoulders for balance, I hiketo kiss hiet out "You made me feel that way"

He cradleshim is my answer

…

We don’t talk on the way ho the words, I think we’ve decided to live in the now We’ve stopped trying to resist the pull, we’re not thinking beyond today I’rateful for it, this decision to be reckless Because that’s exactly what it is It’s floating down a sparkling river, enjoying the view, as you head toward a Niagara-sized plunge I’, and now all I want is to ad up inside of me and I’m not ready to put it to bed just yet

He parks the car in the garage and alk back toward the Clay the connection isn’t enough, he drags me into his side and kisses the top of my head We stare at each other for a , but the door of the Claymore flies open and Kitty steps out onto the sidewalk I start to pull away, as if we’ve been caught cohtens

She claps a shaky hand over her ht along with Faith"

Shane stiffens against estures wildly "She’s gone I knocked on her door to ask if she’d help me with the tea service, but she didn’t answer So I went in Very tidy, her room She takes after h his hair I can see his face transforht froht before It’s so palpable, I can’t bear it I rack one The answer is so clear, I can actually feel relief swi in my chest "I knohere she is"