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She seesa sound

"Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you," I say, my hands flat on the wall behindin my stomach "I didn’t want to interrupt your story I think she liked it"

"I think she did too," Paige says, folding her ar cotton shirt with a large heart on the front, her arht I’uys?" she asks

"I had a good ti to stir Leah Not wanting to disturb our space--to ruin our alone "You’re right Ty’s a pretty good guy"

"He is," she sighs, her eyes lingering on mine Even in the darkness, I can see the reen She’s prettier this way, her hair long andto her breasts Her face is a blank canvas, theto take away from her eyes and her mouth My eyes can’t seem to leave her lips They’re nervous She’s nervous She’s…beautiful

And I’ intently as her eyes show her tell--flashing wider for a brief second, before she flits the her body, her heart, tighter "I like you I don’t wanna like you…but I do"

Her eyes find nition is there She res are messy…messier

"I can’t," she says

"I know," I say, my voice more broken than I expected The rawness makes her smile fade when she hears me

"I want to," she says, her eyes locked on , and her lips are quivering

"I know," I say, takingWhy can’t I er I stand here and stare at her, thegoddess who doesn’t need anyone to save her, but damn does she need someone to believe in her

Her breath catches, just when she realizes she hasn’t tasted air for nearly a minute, and her lips part in a way that makes them that much more beautiful I take deliberate steps across the hallway, but I h she won’t flinch She can’t run--I can’t let her run If she runs, I will chase her I will have to convince her I will beg her

It will get messy

When my toes touch hers, I finally lether warrior face; her lids lowered slightly to dare ivingShe isn’t protesting She’s scared

Fuck, I’et scared Andalone I’

I’ers near her cheek, her breath hitches again

"I like you, Paige," I repeat, my voice a whisper, my lips close to her ear I barely remember how to do this, how to do any of this, but every ht now feels so natural "I don’t want to You don’t want , and you can walk away fro makes sense, and you don’t have anyone else to blah part ofterrified But the rest of ain,on

"The rest ofthe inches quickly until my lips touch hers, surprise hers, claim hers and quell her fears all in one action Her protest is short, and soon her hands find my shoulders and thenher face, and we both walk backward until her back is against my door

I reach with one hand, frantic to find it--desperate to open the damn door Panicked that if I break this contact she’ll stop, that she’ll slap et the door open, we both fall inside, but our lips never part, our grip re with one hand, I close the door behind us gently, not wanting to ht