Page 37 (1/2)

Still reeling from the fact that there was one reason he was up for this, I raised my brows “There’s another?”

“Yeah, although I didn’t realise it until I was stood in that hallway” He palmed my face with both hands, his eyes all soft and warm “I love the shit out of you”

Utterly stunned, I didn’t breathe for a moment “What?”

“I pretended it away Not because I didn’t want so with you, but because I don’t have a lot of faith in relationships My parents … they were solid Tight So fucking happy What my mother did rockedabout your dad’s other fah to disillusion a person, isn’t it? It makes you think you can’t really know people That you can’t trust happiness, so you don’t go looking for it And I guess a part of ht to look for it, because I can’t quite shake off the guilt I feel for not telling h I’ht decision”

I gave his leg a couilt is senseless, but I do understand why you’re torn up about that And you’re right, I do understand why yourcaused you to avoid relationships I did that for a long tih I didn’t realise it back then It was a while before I saw thatone asshole after another wasreal commitment I subconsciously knew I’d never be happy with those s at some point, and that hy I picked them”

“The difference between you and me is that you confronted your issues and worked on the up Convinced myself I was fine the way I was”

“And now?”

“Now I’: I’ve never been in a relationship before, and I get the feeling I’ive nore it on the grounds that that answer doesn’t work for me”

I feltto say no”

“You’re not?”

“No I can’t pro My past ones didn’t really count, and none ended well I figure this will be a learning experience for both of us I’h”

He flashedsmile “Exactly what I want to hear”

(Max)

Wicked fast, I lifted her from the floor, dropped her on my lap, and then closed my mouth over hers It wasn’t a kiss It was an all-out explosion We ate at each other’s mouths, ravenous and frantic