Reckless Abandon (Part 1)

Chapter Seven

***Graphic warning below.  Sexual content.*****

"I couldn't wait any longer," he mumbled against my hair, his breath warm, causing goosebumps to run down my neck.  "I'm sorry, I tried, but seeing you?  Harlen, you needed this as much as I did."

I really truly did.  I had never needed a hug this much.  Never felt the urge, never wanted to be touched, but now, I knew, this was what I needed.

I felt him stroke my hair, his fingers gently raking through my curls.  I could have stayed there forever.

But we were in the middle of Walmart and Alice was in the store.

I pushed away from him and he let me go.  I straightened my jacket and scarf and cleared my throat as I took another step away.  "Alice," I explained, looking away from him.  I couldn't meet his eyes.

"Don't worry about her, she left after I told her I had to go see my wife."

My eyes shot up, my heart beating hard.  He didn't have a wife, did he?

He chuckled, his eyes warm and filled with light.  "Don't worry, darling, just a lie.  One I should have told everyone at school sooner.  I could have avoided a lot of weird situations."

"Like a girl pretending to get detention to spend more time with you?" I asked, raising a brow, my heart slowing back to a normal rhythm.

"First off, that was obviously not the reason and second off, even if it was, for you?  It was a situation I never would have avoided."

I gave him a small half smile and looked down, my smile falling slowly.

"Hey," he said, pulling my eyes up to his.  "It's good to see you again."

"I only missed one day."

"It was the longest day of my life."

  I went to bite my lip and flinched, my hand going up to touch where it was still bruised.  No blood.  Good.

Reign's eyes furrowed.  "How are you?  Really," he added, knowing what my answer would be.

I laughed, nearly hysterically, and shrugged.  "How am I supposed to answer that?  You know how I'm doing.  Your mind has probably been putting together worst case scenarios, panicked when it realizes that the worst case scenario is what actually happened."

He shook his head.  "It's not."

"What?" I asked, my tone a little more snappish than I had intended.

He took a step forward and lifted his hand to gently trace my cheek only to have me turn away.  It hurt far too much, as much as I wanted him too.  "My worst case scenario was never seeing you again."

My eyes lifted to his, seeing the pain I had caused him.  "You thought I killed myself?" I breathed, barely able to get the words out myself.

"I've realized that so long as you're still breathing, I can help you keep fighting.  I can help you discover your hope."

I scoffed and shook my head, my eyes filling.  "What hope, Elijah?"

He lifted his arms, genuinely looking confused.  "Isn't it obvious?"  He lowered his hands and took a step closer.  "I can make you smile, laugh, forget.  I can pull you out almost instantly on some days, others a little longer.  Look where we are standing."

"You didn't get me here," I informed him, my heart beating faster.

He shook his head.  "No, but I did keep you from going back home and getting back into bed."