Chapter 19 #3
Her expression softened when she wasn’t talking, especially being so close to me.
“Why you so quiet now?”
She glanced up at me. “You ain’t giving me much to respond to.”
“That so?”
“Mm-hmm.” She kept going, dragging the cloth lower to meet her other hand then back up again. “Marley.”
I looked down at her. “What?”
“Why did you come here like this?”
I sunk deeper into the tub and deeper into her hold, relaxing fully. “I don’t know.”
Her hands slowed against my chest… less certain now.
“What did you have to tell me?” she asked, quieter this time.
I leaned my head back against the edge of the tub, eyes on the ceiling and mouth ajar as her wrist worked.
“Soon, Bunny.”
She stopped jerking me. “No. Now.”
I groaned. “Well. For it to make sense, We need to talk about what you said first.”
“I knew it was about that!” she jumped up, making the water splash around in the ground.
“Aurora,” I pulled her down into me again. “Stop. Let me finish.”
She rolled her eyes but settled.
“When we started this,” I said slowly, choosing each word, “I thought this would be a possibility… but not so soon.”
“…a possibility?” she repeated.
“Yeah.”
“What would be a possibility, Marlon?”
“The way you feel right now,” I said. “That’s why I didn’t want to continue it because I knew we’d end up here. And if we go any further, I’d have to say things I’m just not ready to say.”
“Things like what, Marlon?” she asked. “What are you talking about? You keep saying we gotta talk, but you ain’t saying nothing.”
Instead, I reached up and brushed a damp strand of hair back from her face, my hand lingering just long enough to feel the warmth of her skin.
“We gotta end this, Bunny.”
She searched my face, trying to read past what I wasn’t saying.
“Don’t play with me right now.”
“I’m not,” I said.
Her hand pushed against my chest as she tried to leave this conversation but I held her.
“I can’t be your first love, Rory,” I explained. “I shouldn’t be anyone’s first love. I ain’t first love material.”
“That’s not true!”
“It is.” I shook my head. “Our situation is messy enough as it is. This will only break your heart.”
She waved it off like it didn’t touch her.
“Say what you really mean,” she pushed. “It ain’t the situation that’s gonna break my heart. It’s you.”
I didn’t answer. Because she wasn’t wrong.
“I’m sorry, Bunny.”
“Right.” She slid out of my hold and off my lap, stepping out of the tub without looking at me. “Well. Thanks for the honesty.”
Her petty ass pulled the drain as she moved, water rushing out. Then she grabbed her robe, wrapping it tight around her body before walking out.
I sat there for a second, listening to the water drain, then pushed up and followed her.
She was in the bedroom, standing at the vanity, already moving through her routine with more force than necessary. Bottles of products opened and oil pressed into her skin, she rubbed them down like she wanted to start a fire.
“Aurora.”
She didn’t turn.
“Is there another woman?”
“Huh?”
She faced me then, eyes sharp. “Is there?”
“No! There ain’t no other woman, Bunny. I swear.”
She studied me for a second, then shook her head.
“Part of me wished there was,” she said. “At least that way, I’d have a reason for why you keep turning me away. A real reason. Something I could justify besides this bullshit loyalty you have to my father.”
“It ain’t bullshit, Aurora.”
“Please.” She let out a short breath. “If you actually cared about my father, you wouldn’t have fucked me in the first place!
I wouldn’t even be here! You just use that as an excuse to keep me at arm’s length so I’m close enough to fuck but not close enough to be with.
It’s pathetic. But I’m even more pathetic for putting up with it. ”
I stepped closer, frustration pushing through now.
“You think I want to put you through this?” I said. “You think I like having to sneak around with you? Having to pretend I don’t feel the way you do?”
She didn’t answer. “Marley—”
“You are an amazing, beautiful, talented woman,” I continued. “Far better than any man like me deserves.”
I gripped her shoulders.
“I do not deserve you, Aurora. I’m twenty years too late. I’m past my prime. It’s ridiculous to even consider having any kind of future with you and I don’t know why you keep pushing it. It won’t end well.”
“Says who?” she shot back immediately breaking my hold. “Who decides that? You? Me? The universe? You don’t know what will happen in the future. I could make you so fucking happy if you let me, but you shut it down before I even get the chance!”
“I don’t deserve happy!” I yelled back. “Please, Bunny. Understand me. Don’t question this. Please. I don’t want to watch your heart break.”
She went quiet.
We both did. Then she stepped closer, placing her hand flat against my chest.
I looked away but she lightly turned my head back to meet her face, caressing me gently.
“Look at me,” she said softly, “if you’re so sure you’ll break my heart… at least let me enjoy this while I can.”
I didn’t think. My hand came up to the back of her neck and I pulled her into me, closing the distance in one motion. My mouth found hers instantly.
Hard.
Every issue I’d been holding back all day came out in that kiss.
She responded just as fast, rising into it, her hands gripping onto me like she’d been waiting for me to stop fighting this. The tension was gone, washed away in the tub and replaced with heat and need and everything I kept pretending wasn’t there.
I backed her up without breaking it, one step, then another, until her back hit the wall.
She gasped into my mouth, but didn’t pull away. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders as I lifted her, her legs coming around my waist like it was instinct.
“Marley I—”
I kissed her again, deeper this time, trying to drown out every thought in my head. Her hand went between us, and wrapped around my dick, slipping it into her. She gasped at first before clawing at my back. I buried my face in her neck then, groaning as I nailed her to the wall.
“Fuck,” we moaned in unison.
I slowed the strokes just so I could feel her. My skin pricked with heat and electricity with every touch. She was perfect. Perfect in ways I didn’t deserve as fuck up as it sounded.
I felt like I was stealing her away. Robbing her of innocence, complicating her life unnecessarily just because I couldn’t say no.
“Marlon…”
But when she breathed my name against my skin. When she took me. I just… melted. For a moment… Everything made sense.
Her.
Me.
This.
Nothing else mattered. Until—
“I love you,” she whispered against my ear again.
The words hit me mid-breath and I froze, pulling back enough to look at her. She was still holding onto me, eyes open now, searching my face like she expected something back.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice unsure.
“Nothing.” I pulled out slowly.
“Talk to me.”
“Nothing’s wrong, Rabbit. Swear,” I rushed it and she narrowed her eyes at me.
“Something’s wrong. You call me Rabbit when you're upset. But Bunny when you’re not mad at me. Why are you mad at me?”
“I’m not mad.” I set her down carefully, hands lingering at her waist for a second before dropping.
“I just…” I stepped back. “I gotta go.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah… I’m sorry, Ra—Bunny. I meant Bunny.”
Her expression shifted, but she didn’t stop me. “Okay. See you at work tomorrow.”
I paused at the door but didn’t turn around.
I just walked out.