a sexy whisper.
“Aaron…”
She stood there in a long red sundress… antagonizing him, teasing him, torturing him. A vent above her head caused the skirt to lightly billow around her, along with strands of her long, dark, wavy hair. Her light caramel skin had a healthy glow… skin he was supposed to hate, but instead, craved to caress, touch, kiss, and mark as his own.
He tried to hate her, everything about her, but he failed before she’d even been in his presence for thirty seconds.
His breathing accelerated as they took careful steps towards one another, drawn to each other, moving bit by bit. His feet kept going, when he told his body to be still!
Stop it!
He chastised himself as another rapid tumble and roll of anger moved inside him. He felt damn near schizophrenic. The fight within him was becoming too much.
“Why?!” he yelled at her, feeling pressure in his skull as his voice wrapped around the question and cracked like glass. He’d told himself what the hell he was going to do and say to the woman, but nothing was going as planned… so from now on, this shit was coming straight from the hip. “Why, Mia?! Why did you play these games with me!”
“Because I—”
“And it better be the truth!” He jammed his finger accusingly in her direction, keeping his distance now as he feared his anger would escalate.
“Because I genuinely liked you, Aaron, and didn’t know what else to do!”
He looked away from her, turned his back, needing a break from looking into her damn eyes. But, she just kept on talking.
“Initially, when I first wrote to you, I didn’t tell you my real name or any of that because… because I figured we’d talk on and off for the year you were scheduled to be incarcerated and that would be the end of it, you know?” He looked back in her direction. “I didn’t know…” She paused, her voice choked up as she covered her mouth with trembling hands and her eyes watered. “I didn’t know I’d fall in love with you, but I did!”
He turned back around, away from the sight of her. How could he bear to hear her words? No, that didn’t make sense… how could it? How could she truly love him? Knowing who he was and what he was capable of?
“Aaron, please!”
Her footsteps echoed behind her as she raced towards him, closing off their gap, locking him in, and then… her felt her small, warm hand touch his shoulder. He shook her off like a damn tree branch that had grazed his body, then stepped away. A sense of violation encompassed him.
“Don’t touch me. Don’t you ever touch me.” His hand shook as he pointed in her direction.
“How can I not? Never mind that… Aaron, everything but my name and physical description, as far as my race, were true. Everything! How I felt… No, how I feel for you is real!”
“No, it’s not. It couldn’t be. You’re a liar, remember?! I can’t believe a word that comes out of your damn mouth!”
“It is true, damn it!”
“What? True that you’re in love with me or true that you’re a liar?” he taunted.
“Both!”
For a split second, he almost burst out laughing… but he reeled it in.
“You can’t tell me how I feel!” she screamed. “You have no right to tell me how I feel, Aaron!”
“I have every right to do and say whatever I want to you!” He stormed up to her, got in her face. The woman’s chin tilted a bit higher as she put on a brave face, but her body quaked ever so slightly. This time, he didn’t enjoy the taste of fear…
Yet, she didn’t blink, but stood firm, unwavering.
“And that’s too bad, now isn’t it?” he sneered. “I don’t trust you, don’t want you, don’t need you.” He stormed away and slumped down onto the couch to stare at a blank television. Her reflection was cast upon it as she simply stood there, glaring at the back of his head. Several moments later, she joined him, sat on the other end of the thing.
“Aaron, you can be mad at me for not telling you my
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