Forrest

RR

t.” Dr. Diana Reed sat back to

t on the couch across hers while

, what brings y

ighs and linked my finger

ore she asked. “Have you been

s. Alan usually gave me a long speech to visit my therapist if he knew constant nightmares

“Let me rephrase. Is someone keeping you awake?” Sh

ing under wraps, but I didn’t have an excuse when it came to my

ou don’t have trouble sleeping, then this

that she’s a

ut

mouth to say something, but I couldn’t put what was

irst thing in the morning.” She scribbl

k.

ng to be asham

ashamed,

nd me. It’s normal to feel something toward a woman, to be sexu

t’s not about myself

to worry ab

I gue

king to your therapist right now.

you, Dr

ve feeling

her. Her? Do I ha

care ab

r come back. Something kept me from not doing so, inste

ress. Tell m

been watching her. We don’t talk, I mean we exchanged his and hellos a couple of t

y n

. We have different perspe

that two opposit

ybe.” I

hat you two have dif

n her. I know it sounds c

ht. Tell me

r loose-tongued sharpness. I know not most men like that quality in a woman, but I like her just the way she is.” Whatever her reasons for avoiding a relationship, I wouldn’t stop

great.

ious relationship as well. I can handle the temptation, I am good at that, but I believe se

t she doesn’t believ

mmitment-phobic. Her fr

s bother

ck! I sighed. Why does it hard for me to express? “Thes

w s

just tell her to open up to me, besides, she already questioned my motives on why suddenly, I am talking to

her trust for her

ith? It’d been almost two years since I’d been watching her, and I was satisfied with that arrangement. But lately, I couldn’t just watch her as she ruined her li

was completely wrong. Something flipped inside me and tol

ht, it was immen

it’s tha

to trust your

*

fied, and my mind was somewhere else most of the time. The Fleur Gym was just next door from the tattoo shop, also owned by A

I’m weird. Over a coffee? Yeah, I kinda knew what coffee she liked. Just the word talk made me wince in embarrassmen

he bench, lied down flat, and did a few bench pressing. Then

ll. Then propped his hands on his hips, looking down at me. “Try sharing. It’s not b

ied, raking my fingers

row some balls already and just do whatever you are planning

ssed, I stood up and

row your ba

lls need

at I’d been investing over these years. Personal entanglement was the last thing I wanted. It would complicate things. I kept remi

I had to embrace what I’d become. Nothing was going to change my pas

and I liked the feeling that I cared abou

ad my heart leaped over my throat. Speaki

t even know what I am doing at the diner across t

er message. It was really from her because

u doing here, Megan?

message if it was right to ask or I sou

. What do you think? I d

rolling her eyes.

: Be th

am I so nervous? It’s just her. And this is the right t

found her sitting alone at the f

. “Beautiful mor

t manner I could muster. I placed my hands over the over-

? She’s in front of me, and my so

as I continued playing with a shake

have any better questions? Like how are you? O

the daylight and glower than the silver moon at night.

hat she could fool you, but I wasn’t nearly convinced. She was hiding something,

th the surface of a firecracker, I knew, there was a heart in there—some sincerity, affection, and yearning. Every time I looked into her eyes, my chest ached as if I got through

hecking

“Sorry. You

my face. Her touch was like a hot liquid metal burning my skin, seeping through my flesh. My bo

ly. Before I could reply, the waitre

r and met Milo. He told me that you were in the gym.”Did he now? I needed

butter on top, and I was thinking of pouring a generous amount of maple sy

t’s

red reluctantly, and I

the last thing I wanted to happen between us because there was no way I would even try controlling myself when I

akfast, and I grabb

a foodie but the taste of buttermilk exploded in my taste buds. I al

I shouldn’t leave without t

ve moaned a little. “Can’t rem

t you’re staying abov

long had she been

savored the delicious breakfast on my plate si

at her intently. “What a

tly don’