Page 47 of Fourth Wall

“I wanted to come by and see where you lived. I came over instead to see you are hungover, look a mess, and haven't changed your unorganized ways.” He looked around at the small mess in the living room. Admittedly, since Christian had been gone, it did get messier, but the cleaners did show up this week, and I did not hire them, so I knew it was Christian’s doing.

“I just slept bad yesterday.” What were you doing, Maeve? Stop making excuses for him.

“Where did we go wrong, Tyler? We used to have dinners together. I just want to go back to that for the sake of the girls. This hatred between us is too much.”

“You went wrong, Maeve. I’m doing this for you,” he insisted, and I rolled my eyes at him. “Stephen says I’m being too hard on you, too.”

I threw my hands up in the air in response.

“Listen to him! He is your partner.”

“Maeve,” Tyler said after a minute, “where is your so-called boyfriend?” He looked around, and I knew I would get caught. When you had shared your life intimately with someone for as long as Tyler and I had, I knew he would know that I was lying the moment something came out of my mouth. Somehow, the truth felt terrifying, though.

“He’s around.” It wasn’t a lie, and it wasn’t the truth. Well, I mean he was around, but not around here.

“I knew it was a farce when you said it in court. Between the surprise on your lawyer's face and the way you just blurted it out.”

“It’s not fake,” I insisted. Another half-truth.

Suddenly, the sound of a key fumbling in the lock broke the silence, and the front door swung open. I hurried out from the kitchen to catch sight of Christian entering as if he hadn't been gone for five days. My heart pounded in my chest, anticipation coursing through my veins as our eyes locked.

Christian's gaze quickly passed over me, landing on Tyler standing in our kitchen. A flicker of confusion crossed his face. I could see the questions swirling in his mind, but I had no time to explain. I mouthed, “Tyler,” to him.

Without hesitation, Christian dropped his bag and closed the distance between us in just three brisk strides. The air crackled with tension as he reached for me, his hand cupping the back of my neck, his touch both familiar and electrifying. Everything else faded away at that moment, leaving only the two of us locked in an intimate embrace.

His other hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me tightly against him. I could feel the warmth of his body, the strength in his arms, as if he was anchoring me to the present. The scent of pine filled my nostrils, a familiar aroma that awakened a flurry of memories and emotions. It was the scent of home, of safety, of the love we once shared.

Right before his lips met mine, he whispered, "I'm sorry.” His voice filled with a mix of regret and longing. Then our mouths collided in a passionate kiss, igniting a fire that had been smoldering between us for far too long. Time stood still as our lips moved in perfect synchrony, a dance of pent-up desire and unspoken words.

A heady mixture of nature's fragrance and undeniable chemistry enveloped us, leaving me craving more. I deepened the kiss, parting my lips to invite him in, surrendering to the intensity of our connection. We weren't just kissing; it felt likewe were merging our souls, reigniting a flame that had never truly extinguished.

Reluctantly, Christian broke the kiss but kept his arm securely around my waist, refusing to let me go completely. He glanced over at Tyler, who stood there somewhat dumbfounded, caught in the whirlwind of our unexpected reunion. At that moment, the room held a palpable tension.

“You must be Tyler.” Christian went over to give him a handshake, pulling me along with him. “Is there something wrong? If I am not mistaken, your pickup day is tomorrow?”

“Everything’s okay. Sorry, I just left something with the girls.” A lie, but I would be the bigger person and not call him on it.

“Great. Well, we’ll see you tomorrow. Let me walk you out.”

Christian let go of my waist and then guided Tyler to the door. Before shutting the door, Tyler looked over at Christian.

“An overnight bag, eh?” Christian didn’t respond but just closed the door as Tyler exited.

I turned toward the pancakes quickly, trying to make my hair not look so crazy and throwing some water on my face. I heard Christian check in on the girls upstairs and presumably dropping his bag before coming back down.

“Coming for a refresh on your clothes? Probably didn’t pack enough for being gone more than a week.” I trailed off as I mixed the flour and baking powder.

“Firecracker—” I quickly turned around, whisk in hand, and pointed right at him.

“You do not get to call me that.” The tears welled up in my eyes, and I knew I was seconds away from them bursting like a dam.

“Focus on the pancakes. Add milk, eggs, vanilla, then combine with dry ingredients,” I said to myself, trying desperately to focus on the task at hand and not my spiraling emotions.

“I need to talk to you.” Whisk harder.

“Please, say something.” Mix in chocolate chips.

“I missed you.” I cracked. I grabbed the whisk coated with pancake batter and flung it at Christian. The batter splattered across his face, dripping down and leaving him momentarily stunned.

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