Page 72 of Revelation (Love Isn't What It Seems 3)

She was starting her own family with her husband. Yet, I was incapable of even dating. The night with Luke flashed in my mind. That wasn’t exactly a date. But it was an incredible night. Such an eye opener. The club truly lived up to its name because everything with that man was a revelation. The more I thought about it, the more I started to think Luke was Maxim. The all-consuming kiss, the way he made me feel, and the way my body responded… it was almost identical to the way I responded to Maxim. But even if it was Maxim, he only wanted me for a night, not a lifetime.

The honk of a car startled me out of my thoughts. Shit, for the second time in a month, I almost went out into the street without looking. I stepped back onto the sidewalk and waited for the car to pass.

Another honk sounded and I wondered why the car stopped when the back door of the car opened and Maxim stepped out.

“Layla, what are you doing walking in the rain?”

He was so tall, I had to tilt my head up to meet his gaze. The dark blue of stormy seas. He really had beautiful eyes, you could drown in them.Same eyes!I thought back to Luke.

“Layla, are you okay?” He took my hands into his. The warmth from his touch instantly seeped through my skin. The sizzling current shot through every cell of my body, waking it up from its numbness. My lips parted on their own and my skin heated, needing him to touch me everywhere.

His touch felt familiar. It felt right. I took a step towards him, needing his body closer.Same smell too.

My body was confused, or maybe not. He felt the same; the guy that satisfied all my cravings I never even knew I had stood in front of me. It had to be or was I losing my mind?

“Layla?”

His voice penetrated through my thoughts and I shook my head to clear it.

“Hey there.”

“Why are you walking in the rain?”

“Why are you standing in the rain?”

His lip quirked. “Because I’m talking to a beautiful woman.”

Despite the fact I told him yesterday I wanted to take it slow, the admission pierced through my stupid brain. I was lying to myself. I wanted it all with him, as quickly as possible. And then I wanted to hold on to it and never let go. There was something heartwarming about Maxim. He felt like the warmth of the sun on my skin, like home baked cookies. At the same time, he made my heart leap from the highest mountains drunk on adrenaline; he made me reach for the stars eager to burnout alongside him.

The years of loneliness squeezed my chest, my eyes burned and my throat choked so bad it physically hurt. Like there was a hand wrapped tight around my neck, extinguishing my life. Because I wasn’t living. And I wanted to. God, I wanted to live so bad. A full life. I’d dance in the rain, spread my wings in the wind and laugh, pretending I could fly.

A sob escaped me, and desperately, I tried to compose myself. Another sob and it was too late. I was hit with a wrecking ball, falling apart, tears mixing with the rain. I took my lower lip between my teeth, biting into it hard, trying hard to stop making a big fool of myself but it was too late. Maxim’s arms wrapped around me, and without thinking, I buried my head into his chest.

“Shhhh, love,” he murmured. “It will be okay.”

“N-no, it won't.” A hiccup escaped me. “Everything is a mess.”

I wasn’t sure how we found ourselves in front of his car. He nudged me in and sat next to me, closing the partition with his driver. All the while I bawled the tears that I had been holding onto for years.

He pulled me onto his lap and I let him. My nose was running, I was a mess. But he didn’t seem to mind. He patted my nose with his handkerchief.

“Y-you have a handkerchief?”

He smiled. “Yes. I’m old fashioned like that.”

I kept sniffling, trying to get ahold of myself, but the damn tears wouldn’t stop. My body shook with each whimper.

“Shhhh, it’s okay,” he murmured, his big hand rubbing up and down my back in soothing movements.

I leaned my forehead against his shoulder, relishing in the comfort.

“Want to talk about it?” His voice was gentle. “I’ll even offer confidentiality. Whatever you say, I shall never repeat it.”

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, I found the need to spill it all. Tell him all, every horrible detail. All the wrongs I’ve done and kept on doing. A necessity, like oxygen to breathe.

His fingers took my chin gently and met my eyes. “I want to help, Layla.” And I believed him. “I’ll make it better. I promise.”

His thumb brushed lightly over my lower lip, tears on my lips. His head bent and his lips met mine in the lightest kiss. It was a comforting kiss.

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