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Our surroundings fade and time slows, stretching the seconds of pleasure. Oh, he can kiss. I’d be happy to live in this moment forever, consumed by him. We break apart and intense eyes look into mine. As my heartbeat calms, all I see is the same desire he must be witnessing in my gaze.
For a second, I think he’s going to kiss me again. Instead, he takes a deep breath and scrubs his palms over his face, leaving behind an expression that drains any hope that this is going to go well.
“Calliope.” My name comes out with a sigh, dripping with regret. He gets to his feet and steps off the porch into the yard as if he needs to put as much space between us as possible.
My face heats with embarrassment. Did I imagine the way he looked at me or read too much into it? “I’m sorry, I thought you?—”
“Don’t apologize…I got caught up in you—in the moment,” he stutters, correcting himself. “But I can’t.”
This is so awkward and uncomfortable, something I’ve never felt with him. “I understand.” It’s hard to keep the disappointment out of my voice but I do my best. “It’s okay.”
At the sound of a motor, we both turn to see Silver’s truck coming up the driveway, a white van right behind her.
Arlow forces an uneasy smile. “I should go.” He takes a few slow steps. “I’ll see you later.”
“Sure.”
By the time Silver and the plumber’s van park in front of the cabin, he’s almost back to his house. An older guy with wild, curly gray hair approaches with Silver.
“Hey Calli, this is my uncle Lou, the plumber I told you about.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“You too. It’s the tub that’s backed up?” he asks, getting right down to business.
“Yes, I’ve tried one of those plastic zip tools and got some hair out, but it still takes hours to drain.”
He nods and holds up a tool. “Let’s give the drum auger a shot at it. Have you used any caustic liquids? Drain cleaner?”
“No.”
“Good, good,” he mumbles, and follows us inside. Once he’s working, Silver pulls me back out onto my porch.
“Okay, what did we interrupt? You look upset. Are you alright?”
“I’m an idiot,” I sigh, flopping into one of my chairs.
Silver sits across from me. “I’m going to need more information than that.”
“I kissed Arlow.”
Her eyebrows bounce, and she sits up straight. “Oh.”
“He’s so sweet, and the way he looked at me, I thought…” I shake my head. “I was wrong.”
“He didn’t kiss you back?” she suggests softly.
“He did, and it was so good. But it was followed by instant regret, like he suddenly realized what he was doing. We’ve been spending all this time together and I read too much into it, I guess. He was being kind and I thought it was something more.”
“Did he say anything?”
“He said he got caught up in the moment with me. Then he just said he can’t.”
“That’s it?”
“Well, you guys showed up. Good timing, by the way because things were awkward as hell.”
“I’m sorry. Him kissing you back like that, it sounds like he’s into you too. Maybe there’s something else going on with him.”
