All the while he had been there.
Supporting her, staying with her, never leaving.
Just like right now.
His head was tilted slightly. The longer strands of his black hair falling over his face, staring back at her, assessing her. She would bet everything she had that he was trying to figure out her mood.
But she was feeling different than ever before.
She was lighter.
Free.
The pain was still there. It probably always would be in a way. But baring her soul to him. Letting down her barriers, and showing him the deepest darkest parts of her shame.
It hadn’t opened old wounds like she had thought it would.
It healed them in a way.
A way that left her chest feeling free. A way that left her breathless at the man sitting in front of her.
She met his stare with her own. Devouring his face and everything that was just him. Letting the slow wave of desire seep through her. The one that had been there for a while, but that she hadn’t let herself feel.
It hadn’t been the right time.
Maybe it still wasn’t.
But it felt right, and she couldn’t help how she felt anymore.
“What’s up with you, little bird?” he said with a small smile. She didn’t answer, just smiled and looked down at her coffee cup.
Once, when she had been in high school, a new boy had come in midyear. He had been the talk of the school. After all, it wasn’t every year that they got a new kid. Most of them had all grown up with each other. But this boy was tall and very handsome. All the girls had giggled as he walked by and she remembered the feeling when he had come to talk to her. When they had snuck off and skipped classes, when he had snuck a few kisses under the stairs, and the feeling of being in love.
It hadn’t lasted long, he had moved on really quick, and in true young love fashion she had been crushed.
It was nothing though compared to what she was feeling now.
Mark’s phone ringing had them both coming out of the moment as he cursed and picked it up, putting it on speaker phone while he answered.
“Sir,” he said, and she watched as his face changed, a seriousness coming over it that she didn’t altogether like.
“Mark. You need to come back.” She assumed that it was Dominic.
“Why what’s going on?” He sat up, leaning forward with the phone between them.
“There are some things that we need to discuss.” Mark was silent for a moment staring at the phone.
“Mark, it’s about Winter. Just come home.” Dominic said again, and her eyes widened.
What did Dominic have to say about her?
“Let me call you back,” Mark said, hanging up the call and looking to her.
“How would you feel about going to Florida with me?”
“I don’t want to be in the way.” She murmured her heart pounding. She didn’t want him to leave. But at the same time, she didn’t want to be the reason he stayed. His family was important to him. “But I would like to go. If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Little bird. You are no trouble, I promise.” He gave her a small smile.
