apartment Claire
was breathless. Climbing all those stairs while supporting
his bodyweight had been hard.
“Jeez! Why the hell doesn’t this building have a lift! ” Claire said, dropping Nate onto his couch.
“It does.”
She looked down at him in dismay. “What!”
“I thought you needed the exercise,” he chuckled.
Claire shook her head. “You can be such a prick
when you want to be.”
Nate shrugged. “Can you help me go and get my
spare set of crutches from my bedroom?”
“I can just go and get them.”
“No, I’m actually feeling pretty exhausted, I
wouldn’t mind going to go and have a lie down.”
“Sure,” Claire said, helping him up off the couch.
As they walked to the room she noticed how much
everything had changed. “You’ve cleaned…” She said, amazed. “A
lot.”
She was in shock at just how clean the place
looked, almost as if a professional had come and cleaned.
“Yeah someone told me I was living in filth so I
thought I’d better clean it up.” He smiled down at her.
She smiled back at him and helped him to the bed.
“Could you grab my medication for me on the
kitchen bench?”
“Want me to cook you dinner too?” she said sarcastically.
“Actually-”
“Not happening,” she interrupted and walked back
out to the kitchen.
As Claire went to pick up the medication from the
bench she noticed a piece of paper next to it. It was from a University,
thanking Nate for his interest in finishing his business course. Uni. He was going back to uni ?
She walked back into the room to find Nate where
she’d left him. She handed him the bottle of pills and held the letter out to
him. “You’re going back to uni ?”
Nate looked up at her, and then to the piece of
paper she was holding. “It’s rude to pry.”
“I wasn’t prying, it was right there, I couldn’t help but notice it.”
Nate sighed. “Yeah I’m thinking about finishing my
degree.”
“That’s great, Nate!” she said excitedly.
“Yeah I thought you’d like that,” he replied
harshly.
“What’s that meant to-” Claire trailed off,
confused at Nate’s sudden change in attitude.
“That’s what you want isn’t it?” Nate asked as he
stood up, balancing on his strong leg. “A successful, smart,
funny, reliable guy.” Nate was breathing heavily now.
Claire didn’t understand what he was talking
about. Why would he think that was what she wanted? “I don’t know what
you’re talking about,” she replied softly.
“Oh, really?” He grabbed
her wrists and pulled her close. “Admit it. You think I’m not good enough.”
Claire felt her breathing hitch. “Where did this
come from? Nate, I have a boyfriend.”
He let go of one of her wrists and held his hand
up to her face. He stroked her cheek slowly, delicately. “Then explain to me
what this is. This thing between you and me.”
Please don’t go there, Claire thought.
“There’s nothing going on between us,” she
whispered. Breathe, Claire. Breathe!
“You sure about that?” his voice was raspy and
filled with need. “You want me.”
“I don’t want you,” she said, not quite as firmly
as she would have hoped.
She didn’t want him, she didn’t. Right? She didn’t know anymore, she was lost in the
moment, lost in Nate.
Nate tilted his head towards her, and she held her
breath. Claire could feel Nate’s breath on her lips he was so close.
“I’ve wanted you for so long, Claire. And I know
you’ve wanted me, too. You can try and deny it…us, but it won’t make it go
away.”
Claire couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, her chest
constricted. In that moment there was no Dave, no world around them, it was
just them.
His lips touched hers, and Claire closed her eyes
as Nate explored her mouth gently with his own. Every part of her mind told her
to stop, pull away, and leave now! But she didn’t, she couldn’t. She kissed him
back with greater force, their once delicate kiss now full of raging
was breathless. Climbing all those stairs while supporting
his bodyweight had been hard.
“Jeez! Why the hell doesn’t this building have a lift! ” Claire said, dropping Nate onto his couch.
“It does.”
She looked down at him in dismay. “What!”
“I thought you needed the exercise,” he chuckled.
Claire shook her head. “You can be such a prick
when you want to be.”
Nate shrugged. “Can you help me go and get my
spare set of crutches from my bedroom?”
“I can just go and get them.”
“No, I’m actually feeling pretty exhausted, I
wouldn’t mind going to go and have a lie down.”
“Sure,” Claire said, helping him up off the couch.
As they walked to the room she noticed how much
everything had changed. “You’ve cleaned…” She said, amazed. “A
lot.”
She was in shock at just how clean the place
looked, almost as if a professional had come and cleaned.
“Yeah someone told me I was living in filth so I
thought I’d better clean it up.” He smiled down at her.
She smiled back at him and helped him to the bed.
“Could you grab my medication for me on the
kitchen bench?”
“Want me to cook you dinner too?” she said sarcastically.
“Actually-”
“Not happening,” she interrupted and walked back
out to the kitchen.
As Claire went to pick up the medication from the
bench she noticed a piece of paper next to it. It was from a University,
thanking Nate for his interest in finishing his business course. Uni. He was going back to uni ?
She walked back into the room to find Nate where
she’d left him. She handed him the bottle of pills and held the letter out to
him. “You’re going back to uni ?”
Nate looked up at her, and then to the piece of
paper she was holding. “It’s rude to pry.”
“I wasn’t prying, it was right there, I couldn’t help but notice it.”
Nate sighed. “Yeah I’m thinking about finishing my
degree.”
“That’s great, Nate!” she said excitedly.
“Yeah I thought you’d like that,” he replied
harshly.
“What’s that meant to-” Claire trailed off,
confused at Nate’s sudden change in attitude.
“That’s what you want isn’t it?” Nate asked as he
stood up, balancing on his strong leg. “A successful, smart,
funny, reliable guy.” Nate was breathing heavily now.
Claire didn’t understand what he was talking
about. Why would he think that was what she wanted? “I don’t know what
you’re talking about,” she replied softly.
“Oh, really?” He grabbed
her wrists and pulled her close. “Admit it. You think I’m not good enough.”
Claire felt her breathing hitch. “Where did this
come from? Nate, I have a boyfriend.”
He let go of one of her wrists and held his hand
up to her face. He stroked her cheek slowly, delicately. “Then explain to me
what this is. This thing between you and me.”
Please don’t go there, Claire thought.
“There’s nothing going on between us,” she
whispered. Breathe, Claire. Breathe!
“You sure about that?” his voice was raspy and
filled with need. “You want me.”
“I don’t want you,” she said, not quite as firmly
as she would have hoped.
She didn’t want him, she didn’t. Right? She didn’t know anymore, she was lost in the
moment, lost in Nate.
Nate tilted his head towards her, and she held her
breath. Claire could feel Nate’s breath on her lips he was so close.
“I’ve wanted you for so long, Claire. And I know
you’ve wanted me, too. You can try and deny it…us, but it won’t make it go
away.”
Claire couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, her chest
constricted. In that moment there was no Dave, no world around them, it was
just them.
His lips touched hers, and Claire closed her eyes
as Nate explored her mouth gently with his own. Every part of her mind told her
to stop, pull away, and leave now! But she didn’t, she couldn’t. She kissed him
back with greater force, their once delicate kiss now full of raging
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