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It’s like tunnel vision as I head for Maria’s place. I refuse to let a snarky comment from a past fling get in the way of our growing relationship.
I’m cursing as I circle the block to find parking, but finally, take the space of a car that’s pulling out. I basically sprint to her building, letting my finger smash against the button for her apartment.
“Hello?” her angelic voice answers over the intercom.
“Maria, it’s me,” I grind out through my heavy huffs.
There’s a long pause. I’m convinced that she’s going to ignore me, and I hit the button two more times.
Finally, her voice answers, “I’m coming down.”
I must look like a lunatic as I pace outside the entrance to her building. But I can’t help all of this nervous energy I feel. I’m not sure what I would do if I were to lose Maria before I’m even fully able to have her.
The door to the building swings open. She is wearing a pair of hot pink athletic shorts and an oversized gray T-shirt, looking perfect.
“Hey,” I greet her as I step inside the building, following her quick steps up the stairs as we head to her third-floor apartment.
“Hello,” she mumbles, but it doesn’t seem too enthusiastic, and despite her back facing me, I know she must have a frown plastered on her face.
When we get into her apartment, she loiters by the doorway instead of going to sit on the couch.
Trying to come up with a plan on how to avoid me.
“Maria,” I begin, hoping that she will at least turn around to face me.
It takes a few beats, but eventually she’s spinning on her heels in a pair of fluffy pink slippers to look up at me from under her impossibly long eyelashes.
“You have to tell me what’s wrong,” I urge, my hand reaching out to grab hers, though she doesn’t seem committed to the gesture as her hand rests limply in mine.
She gnaws on the corner of her bottom lip, seeming as if she’d rather discuss anything else other than her time in the bathroom.
“Please, Maria, I . . . I just want to make things right,” I urge, bringing her hand up to press a kiss on it, so she knows how serious I am about this.
Her mouth opens for a second before closing. Then she does it again. Finally, the next time she opens her mouth, she begins speaking.
“That Harper woman came into the bathroom, and she was telling me about you. She was saying how you’re alwayskind ofseeingsomeone, and how you had slept with her and three other women she was out with. I know that was before, but it just made me feel like I was next in line . . .” Maria trails off, her voice sounding choked up just thinking about it.
Shit. Shit.Shit.
“Baby,” I start, reaching my hand out to cradle her cheek, “I can’t lie and say she wasn’t right. I have been with many women. But I haven’t been doing that for some time now. Then I met you, and despite our rocky start, you’ve completely ruined me for other women. It’s just you, gorgeous. I don’t want anyone else.”
There are no words I could possibly think of that could properly convey how I feel for Maria. I need her to know how special she is. Even my most serious relationships never gave me the feelings she does.
My words don’t seem to perk Maria up as I had hoped. She’s ruminating on them, though she doesn’t pull away from my touch.
That’s a good thing.
“I just . . . so you aren’t seeing anyone else?” Maria asks, finally focusing her eyes on me rather than letting them dart around the room.
“Only you. That’s all I want,” I tell her sincerely, hoping she’s able to pick up through my voice just how true my words are.
This isn’t some trick out of some players’ handbook. This is just me, trying the best I can to express my very real feelings for a woman I’m falling for fast and hard.
Maria closes her eyes for a second, her chest and shoulders rising and falling with her breath.
“Okay,” she says simply, not elaborating on the thought.
“We’re good?” I offer up, needing to know that things are going to be okay between us.
