Stolen Moments by Barbi Cox

Author:Barbi Cox
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbi Cox

TWELVE

Stephanie

The dinner goes well, we talk about so much, still dancing around the big issues, but all the same, Aleksandr makes me feel good. He listens to every story I tell with rapt attention. He tells plenty of his own. I don’t mention my exes and he doesn’t mention his wife until the sun is down and we’re somehow at dinner after walking along the beach.

The sea wind tosses my hair around my face and I exhale. “I should tell you.”

“Tell me anything, everything,” he encourages me.

I squeeze his hand over the table. “I want to believe in relationships, but it’s hard. There’s never a guarantee, and I’m not known as girlfriend material, you know?”

“That’s what others think, not me,” he mumbles.

“I have a lot of skeletons in my closet and things to unpack. I need a good counselor to be honest, but I want to try with you, I think.”

“You think?”

“I think a lot,” I say, then realize it was a question. “I’m sure about nothing at all, honestly. I feel like I just became an adult all over again with you.”

He laughs and stands up. I feel my stomach drop. “Please don’t leave. I mean, I know I just admitted to being a mess, but-”

Aleksandr leans across the table, cupping my face and kissing me. It catches me by surprise. I can’t remember the last time anyone surprised me as much as he does. I melt into the kiss, sucking his bottom lip, accepting his tongue, happily enjoying this stolen moment, not caring who sees.

He sighs and presses his forehead to mine. “I will not leave without you.”

I laugh once, then suck my lip.

Somehow, we end the date and I don’t feel as terrible as I expected to. He didn’t once push for sex. He just appreciated me and enjoyed me. I walk into the house and find Lilah upset. My brain switches from swooning to ready to throw a punch that fast.

“If Ed hurt you, I’m going to make sure he can’t fuck anyone else. I think if I hit him hard enough in the dick, he won’t be able to get it up again for-”

“It’s not him ... directly,” she sniffs. “It’s just there’s so much on his plate and I feel useless sometimes. Like there’s nothing I can do to help him.”

I sit beside her and brace myself for this conversation. She leans against me and I sigh. “We’re not allowed to cry over the same guy.”

“I know. And I know that I have him and ... I’m sorry, that was-”

“Stop apologizing. He made his choice,” I hiss, still hating him more than I should. “Anyway, why are you this upset? Don’t you make him eat his words?”

“I did. We’re in a fight and it’s kind of new. We don’t fight and then walk away.”

“Tell me what’s going on.”

“I can’t.”

“You can. I know ... I’m not great support right now, but I’m here for you,” I insist. “I ... I want to be.”

She hugs me tight.

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