I hear the first break in her breathing as she starts to sob.
"It's okay," I whisper as my hand soothingly strokes her long silky hair down her back. "It's okay to cry, Avery."
Her fingers grip my shirt tighter and pull me impossibly closer. I wonder how long it's been since someone held her. It breaks my heart to think that it's been far too long. She is so strong and yet so fragile, and I just have an overwhelming need to protect her from everything bad in this world.
I hold her for a long time until her breathing returns to normal and the tears stop. Then I pull back and stare down at her tear-stained face. "Avery, I feel this indescribable connection to you. Tell me I'm crazy. Tell me you don't feel it too."
She closes her eyes for a few seconds. When she opens them, they are glittering from the candlelight. "I feel it," she whispers. "Max…you're the first person to make me feel anything in such a long time."
Her words hit me hard, and I stare down at her gorgeous lips. I want to kiss her, but I hold back. And then she surprises me by leaning up and brushing her mouth lightly over mine. I take that as an invitation and gently cup her face in my hands before deepening the kiss. Her lips are just as soft as I had imagined. The kiss is brief, but it's meaningful.
We slowly part, and my heart feels like it's going to leap out of my chest. I have never experienced what I'm experiencing right now with her. I know it's too soon and maybe even wrong to feel this way, but I can't stop myself even if it's against my better judgment. She's married, unattainable, but I don't want to stay away. I can't stay away. I think she does need a knight in shining armor after all, and I want to be that for her. I want to protect her.
My thumb tenderly glides over her bottom lip as she gazes up at me. She looks so beautiful it hurts. "Your husband will be gone until next weekend?" I ask.
She nods. "Next Saturday."
"Let me spend time with you this week, Avery. I want to get to know you better."
She doesn't answer right away. "Max," she starts.
"I know it's wrong to want this, but it feels so damn right. I feel so connected with you, and I know you feel it too. I'm not expecting anything to happen between us, Avery. Just spend time with me…as a friend. We'll let fate decide where it goes after that."
I can see numerous emotions flicker across her face. I would give anything to know what she's thinking right now. But before I can make another plea to her, she whispers, "Okay." Then she slowly steps back out of my reach and says, "I should go. Thank you." She hesitates before adding, "For everything."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Avery." I watch her walk off the porch and into her house. Even though we just met a few days ago, I feel like I've known her forever. Avery is so easy to love. I just wish she could understand that. Nathan clearly doesn't deserve her, and I intend to spend our time together this week proving that to her.
*
AVERY
I run into the house and close the door. Letting out a long breath, I lean against the cool glass and press a hand to my chest. My erratic heartbeat thumps loudly under my palm. I close my eyes, and the only thing I can think about is Max. When he had invited me over spaghetti, I never could have imagined the evening we would share together. It was more than just dinner. It was a glimpse into another life, a life where I could have more than just heartache and pain. Everything had been absolutely perfect.
My fingertips graze over my lips as I relive our kiss in my mind. There was an instant spark there that I never experienced before. I didn't want the evening to ever end, but that is exactly why it had to. Being around him is dangerous in every sense of the word, but I can't help but feel this strong, inexplicable connection to him.
The house phone rings, snapping me out of my daydream. A sense of alarm floods over me as Nathan's name pops up on the caller ID. He always calls a lot
"It's okay," I whisper as my hand soothingly strokes her long silky hair down her back. "It's okay to cry, Avery."
Her fingers grip my shirt tighter and pull me impossibly closer. I wonder how long it's been since someone held her. It breaks my heart to think that it's been far too long. She is so strong and yet so fragile, and I just have an overwhelming need to protect her from everything bad in this world.
I hold her for a long time until her breathing returns to normal and the tears stop. Then I pull back and stare down at her tear-stained face. "Avery, I feel this indescribable connection to you. Tell me I'm crazy. Tell me you don't feel it too."
She closes her eyes for a few seconds. When she opens them, they are glittering from the candlelight. "I feel it," she whispers. "Max…you're the first person to make me feel anything in such a long time."
Her words hit me hard, and I stare down at her gorgeous lips. I want to kiss her, but I hold back. And then she surprises me by leaning up and brushing her mouth lightly over mine. I take that as an invitation and gently cup her face in my hands before deepening the kiss. Her lips are just as soft as I had imagined. The kiss is brief, but it's meaningful.
We slowly part, and my heart feels like it's going to leap out of my chest. I have never experienced what I'm experiencing right now with her. I know it's too soon and maybe even wrong to feel this way, but I can't stop myself even if it's against my better judgment. She's married, unattainable, but I don't want to stay away. I can't stay away. I think she does need a knight in shining armor after all, and I want to be that for her. I want to protect her.
My thumb tenderly glides over her bottom lip as she gazes up at me. She looks so beautiful it hurts. "Your husband will be gone until next weekend?" I ask.
She nods. "Next Saturday."
"Let me spend time with you this week, Avery. I want to get to know you better."
She doesn't answer right away. "Max," she starts.
"I know it's wrong to want this, but it feels so damn right. I feel so connected with you, and I know you feel it too. I'm not expecting anything to happen between us, Avery. Just spend time with me…as a friend. We'll let fate decide where it goes after that."
I can see numerous emotions flicker across her face. I would give anything to know what she's thinking right now. But before I can make another plea to her, she whispers, "Okay." Then she slowly steps back out of my reach and says, "I should go. Thank you." She hesitates before adding, "For everything."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Avery." I watch her walk off the porch and into her house. Even though we just met a few days ago, I feel like I've known her forever. Avery is so easy to love. I just wish she could understand that. Nathan clearly doesn't deserve her, and I intend to spend our time together this week proving that to her.
*
AVERY
I run into the house and close the door. Letting out a long breath, I lean against the cool glass and press a hand to my chest. My erratic heartbeat thumps loudly under my palm. I close my eyes, and the only thing I can think about is Max. When he had invited me over spaghetti, I never could have imagined the evening we would share together. It was more than just dinner. It was a glimpse into another life, a life where I could have more than just heartache and pain. Everything had been absolutely perfect.
My fingertips graze over my lips as I relive our kiss in my mind. There was an instant spark there that I never experienced before. I didn't want the evening to ever end, but that is exactly why it had to. Being around him is dangerous in every sense of the word, but I can't help but feel this strong, inexplicable connection to him.
The house phone rings, snapping me out of my daydream. A sense of alarm floods over me as Nathan's name pops up on the caller ID. He always calls a lot
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