Page 81 of Conner

“I don't buy that for a second,” said Evie.

“What are you talking about?”

“Anyone who has seen you two together knows there is more between you than just that.”

Sasha sighed and bit her lip. “I mean, yeah, you're right. But we've never talked about it. We've never even been on a real date. Surely, he didn't mean for me to move in. And I don't even know if I would want to. I like my own space.”

“Okay,” Evie said, sounding unconvinced. “I’ll take you to Conner's to pack.”

The ride to Conner's was quiet. Sasha had a lot to process. She was so relieved it was all over, but she still had the black eye to remind her of exactly how close she had been to something terrible happening. Conner had saved her on multiple occasions and made her feel safe while this whole nightmare played out. Now that it was over, she was still left with that panicky feeling that was hard to shake when she'd wake up from a particularly bad nightmare.

She needed to go home. Find a way to feel safe on her own. That was the right decision. She knew it was. Even knowing that, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that the decision was all wrong. Things with Conner had felt so right. She felt so at home with him. They had the best sex of her life. They had fallen into a routine, but it was time to get back to real life.

Evie's car pulled into Conner's drive. “Do you need help packing?”

“No, I can do it. Thank you for everything,” Sasha said, pulling her into a hug. “I know we've only been friends for a few months, but you're one of the best. I mean it.”

“You too. Once you are feeling better, let's have a girl’s night. Drinking and dancing or another night in with junk food and movies. You're call.”

“That sounds amazing. I'll be in touch.”

And with that Sasha got out of the car and punched in the code to Conner's front door and headed upstairs to pack. Her footsteps fell heavy on the stairs on the way up to the guest room. This was the right decision, it was the only decision, but she just couldn't shake the wrongness of it.

Maybe now that this was all over her and Conner could try to be in an actual relationship. They could go on dates and learn about each other without the stress of all this looming over them. That thought put a smile on her face. Thinking about Conner put a smile on her face.

This was the right decision. Once she was in the guest room, she got out her bag and started packing. When she finished up there, she headed into Conner's room to get the odds and ends she had left in there. She got her toiletries from the shower and remembered the amazing sex they'd had there, and she could feel the heat build inside of her. Then she went to grab her phone charger from the bedside table.

As she turned to leave, she couldn't help but stop and look at the bed. The last night they spent together in that bed had felt different. It felt like love. She gave her head a little shake, trying to regain her composure. She shoved the last couple things in her bag and headed downstairs with her bags.

The clock on the microwave said it was already 5:30. She didn't know when Conner would be home. She didn't want to leave without saying goodbye, but it wasn't like she would never see him again. He would be there tomorrow. She would still see him almost every day. Why was this so hard?

She made her way out of the door by the kitchen into the garage and looked at her car. It had been parked there since Conner drove it here. She popped the trunk open and started putting her bags in. As she was hoisting her last bag, the garage door started to open, and Conner's car pulled in next to her.

He got out of his car and pinned her with a look she didn't quite know how to read. “What are you doing?”

“Ummm...I'm packing up.”

“Why?”

“Because this is all over. He's caught. I can go home.”

“Go home?” he looked at her with confusion.

“Yeah...go home to my apartment.”

“Oh, I thought...never mind, it doesn't matter what I thought. Do you need any help?”

“Nope, this is it,” she said, shutting her trunk.

Conner walked over to her. “Fuck it,” he said she he took her face in her hands. “Sasha, don't go.”

“What?”

“Stay with me,” he said with an edge in his voice that pulled at her heart.

“Conner…” she said, barely able to breath with him this close.

“Please, Sasha,” he said as he leaned his forehead against hers.

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