Sequel: Plummet ›
Status: Complete with a sequel on the way
Freefall
13
My breath came out in short gasps.
And I couldn’t look away from his eyes.
“Not me?” I managed to choke out. He was watching my reaction carefully, and didn’t seem too thrilled by it.
I couldn’t blame him. I was about to go into a class-A panic.
“Yes, you.” This explained so much. His reaction to meeting me, him showing up everywhere…
“But you don’t…”
“I don’t what?”
“You don’t love me. You don’t know me.”
“I know you well enough. And I’m working on getting to know you better, aren’t I?” I couldn’t argue with that. He’d told me right from the start that that was what he was doing.
“Oh. And Jared?”
Paul nodded. “He imprinted on Kim.”
“And you expect me to...?”
“I don’t expect anything from you. I have some hopes, but you’re absolutely free to hate me. To walk away and never look back.”
“And if I did?” I knew I wouldn’t, but it was looking pretty tempting right now. And a lot less stressful.
“I would miss you always, but I wouldn’t go after you if that’s not what you wanted.” Such tidy responses he had; he seemed completely unaffected by my panicking, until you looked at the crease in his brow and the tightness of his eyes.
“Oh.” That was good to know. “Paul, I’d like to go home.”
My head was whirling. It was like I was in a freefall, and there was no ground in sight. I couldn’t stop it, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I was beginning to realize how easy it would be with him; how comfortable, how effortless, loving him. But I also knew that I wasn’t ready for that yet, and thinking about the imprinting situation was terrifying.
I could tell he was bursting to question me, but my brain was fried. I’d had enough for today. Again, neither of us said a word during the drive, but the atmosphere was different this time. Charged.
My mind was reeling, and he was giving me space to think, which was the least he could do. After all, he was the cause.
He pulled into my driveway and I stumbled out of the car. When I was just about to open the front door, I turned around. He was staring after me with a heartbreaking expression.
“I’ll see you Monday,” I said, just loud enough that he could hear. He frowned, but nodded.
When I walked into the living room, Chris jumped up and examined me. “What happened? What did he do to you?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I mumbled as I walked toward the stairs.
“When I get my hands on him, I’ll-”
“Oh, no you won’t!” I said, turning and glaring at him.
“But Lydia, if he hurt you-”
“He didn’t. He was a perfect gentleman.” I walked away, guilty that I was leaving Chris like this, but not guilty enough to turn around and face his questions.
And I couldn’t look away from his eyes.
“Not me?” I managed to choke out. He was watching my reaction carefully, and didn’t seem too thrilled by it.
I couldn’t blame him. I was about to go into a class-A panic.
“Yes, you.” This explained so much. His reaction to meeting me, him showing up everywhere…
“But you don’t…”
“I don’t what?”
“You don’t love me. You don’t know me.”
“I know you well enough. And I’m working on getting to know you better, aren’t I?” I couldn’t argue with that. He’d told me right from the start that that was what he was doing.
“Oh. And Jared?”
Paul nodded. “He imprinted on Kim.”
“And you expect me to...?”
“I don’t expect anything from you. I have some hopes, but you’re absolutely free to hate me. To walk away and never look back.”
“And if I did?” I knew I wouldn’t, but it was looking pretty tempting right now. And a lot less stressful.
“I would miss you always, but I wouldn’t go after you if that’s not what you wanted.” Such tidy responses he had; he seemed completely unaffected by my panicking, until you looked at the crease in his brow and the tightness of his eyes.
“Oh.” That was good to know. “Paul, I’d like to go home.”
My head was whirling. It was like I was in a freefall, and there was no ground in sight. I couldn’t stop it, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I was beginning to realize how easy it would be with him; how comfortable, how effortless, loving him. But I also knew that I wasn’t ready for that yet, and thinking about the imprinting situation was terrifying.
I could tell he was bursting to question me, but my brain was fried. I’d had enough for today. Again, neither of us said a word during the drive, but the atmosphere was different this time. Charged.
My mind was reeling, and he was giving me space to think, which was the least he could do. After all, he was the cause.
He pulled into my driveway and I stumbled out of the car. When I was just about to open the front door, I turned around. He was staring after me with a heartbreaking expression.
“I’ll see you Monday,” I said, just loud enough that he could hear. He frowned, but nodded.
When I walked into the living room, Chris jumped up and examined me. “What happened? What did he do to you?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I mumbled as I walked toward the stairs.
“When I get my hands on him, I’ll-”
“Oh, no you won’t!” I said, turning and glaring at him.
“But Lydia, if he hurt you-”
“He didn’t. He was a perfect gentleman.” I walked away, guilty that I was leaving Chris like this, but not guilty enough to turn around and face his questions.