Page 46 of Show Me How (Thatch 3)

With Words, it didn’t feel so dangerous. She knew what she was getting with me, and I knew she wouldn’t willingly put her heart anywhere close enough for me to touch.

Words . . .

How do you have me rethinking everything I thought I wanted, and wanted to stay away from?

Words: . . . There you go being dangerous again.

Words: Say it.

Words: Say it before you ask me for something I can’t give you.

What do you want me to say?

Words: That you’re okay with keeping us strangers because you know it would ruin everything if we weren’t, and you’re afraid of losing what we have.

So what exactly are you saying you can’t give me?

Words: Stranger . . .

Despite the way I craved having Words directly in front of me, I did a great job of fucking up things in person without even trying, and had no doubt I would do the same with her.

And she was right: after tonight especially, I knew I wasn’t ready to lose this.

I blew out a slow sigh as I fell onto my bed, and tapped out my response.

I’m starting to think it’s necessary for us. But I think I would lose more than you if this ended. You would probably be happy to get some sleep.

I’d gladly lose sleep for the rest of my life if it meant listening to you.

Words: My heart . . .

Words: Damn you, Stranger.

Words: I thought you weren’t going to sweep me off my feet. A guy who doesn’t believe

in love shouldn’t be allowed to be as romantic as you are.

My mouth curved up in a bemused grin as I reread what I’d sent her so far this evening. Not once had I tried to be romantic, I was just being honest for the first time in too long.

But her reactions to my honesty? Yeah, I fucking liked those.

My apologies?

Words: Don’t apologize.

Wasn’t sincere anyway. ;)

Words: You were wrong, by the way. About who would lose more.

Really.

Words: My entire life has revolved around words and love. In less than two weeks, a man who doesn’t believe in the latter has destroyed the way I view relationships and myself, and raised the bar incredibly high for any man who comes into my life in the future. And after such a short time, I’m dreading the day you walk out of my life.

I stared at her message for a long time, just reading it over and over again. Absorbing every word and the meanings behind them.

Words . . .

You and your words . . .

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