CAUGHT OFF GAURD

CAUGHT OFF GUARD: CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

MAIN CHARACTER 👆🏾

KHALIL💕

I shook my head, then waved my hand dismissively around the small janitors workshop, "Oh, I always heard plenty of people went crazy over love, but you can't really imagine what it's like until it happens to you." I reflected on it all, "And boy, did it hit me between the eyes."

He pointed his finger at the bridge of my nose, "I promise I'll never make you cry again, Khalil."

"You can't really promise that, Cole," I stated logically.

He thought for a moment, "Well, I can at least promise to never consciously do anything to make you cry again."

"Okay." I leaned my head back to take in his whole face. "Just promise to love me long enough for me to finally believe I can have real happiness in my life -- for more than a few days at a time," I said with a smile, in all seriousness.

"I promise it'll be a lot more than just a few days -- I want you forever, Khalil. I'm serious. I haven't been able to think of anything but you since the day I met you." He smiled at me, "Yeah. I'm ready for forever." He drew me in for another kiss, "God, I've missed you so bad. I can't believe I was so stupid. I just hate myself for what I did to you."

"Shhhh," I whispered as I leaned in to kiss his cheek, "It's ok now, you don't have to feel like that anymore."

"I just need you to love me," he said softly. "When I thought I'd made you hate me, it felt like it was the end of the world -- and when I found out today you almost killed yourself -- oh baby, never again, I swear to God I'll never let you feel like that again." He squeezed me tightly into his chest and I could feel his heart beating behind his muscles and ribs.

"Shhhh, all that's behind us now," I whispered in his ear as he leaned his head down. "Think about how lucky we are to be back together -- or that we ever met in the first place."

I kissed the side of his head, just behind his ear, holding my lips there, eyes closed, feeling the short hairs laying against his scalp. I could feel his blood pulsing through a vein beneath my lips, breathing him in while endorphins flooded my system, getting me high on him again.

The beauty of life, especially the beauty of human beings, suddenly struck me, 'Isn't it glorious that we love? Isn't it incredible that we can connect on such a deep spiritual level, and that we can express that love physically with something as powerful and sublime as making love?'

I had a three-dimensional vision of our two bodies standing there embraced like an astral outline -- kinda like in neon -- and an absolute knowledge and understanding of what flowed between us, every fierce emotion, every subtle shade of feeling riding on the fierce ones, all the 'This is' and 'What if?' tagalongs, swirling comet tails behind them. I understood the connection on many levels; saw its beauty and science, and its power. My whole body vibrated and hummed with the awesome beauty of it all.

"Whoa! You just zapped me, baby," he pulled his head back and grinned.

"Huh?" I came out of my little trance.