Page 45 of Always

“Damn it, Skye. Must you always be so obstinate?”

She lets out a nervous laugh. “Isn’t that why you love me?”

I shake my head. “God help me. You’re partially right.”

She smiles. Sort of. “I understand what you’re trying to do, but I don’t need to take this back, Braden. It doesn’t scare me.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“No. I admit to being reluctant to come here, but I’m fine now. Really.”

She’s lying to herself. It’s apparent by her tensed jaw, though her hand is no longer quite so cold.

“Then perhaps you’re wrong.”

“About what?” she asks.

“Maybe this isn’t what gave birth to your need for control.”

“No, this is it,” she says. “I didn’t realize until I got here, though, that this place isn’t anything to hamper my life. Besides, I gave up control. To you. Remember?”

“You did. Or rather you may think you did.”

“What do you mean?”

“Feeling out of control is related to anxiety. That’s how you feel when you lose control in a situation. That’s probably how you felt when you got lost here all those years ago.”

She nods.

“But,” I continue, “is that how you feel when you’re not in control now?”

Is it?

“No,” she replies. “Not really.”

“So you see, Skye, your need for control isn’t really who you are at all, is it?”

In my heart, I’ve always known the truth about Skye. Now she needs to see it for herself. “I… I don’t know.”

“What you define as being a control freak is really just a preference. You prefer to be able to think clearly. That’s why you don’t get drunk.”

“You think?”

“It’s possible. In fact, your willingness to give up control to me in the bedroom may be because it’s nice not to have to think sometimes. It’s nice to let someone else be in charge.”

Her mouth drops open. She knows I’m right.

“Tessa says I don’t let my hair down enough.”

“You seem to let it down with me.”

“Yeah, I do… In fact…”

“What?”

She nibbles on her lower lip, and all I can think of is kissingher.

“I want to let it down farther than you’re willing to let me.”

---