She stopped jerking me. “No. Now.”
I groaned. “Well. For it to make sense, We need to talk about what you said first.”
“I knew it was about that!” she jumped up, making the water splash around in the ground.
“Aurora,” I pulled her down into me again. “Stop. Let me finish.”
She rolled her eyes but settled.
“When we started this,” I said slowly, choosing each word, “I thought this would be a possibility… but not so soon.”
“…a possibility?” she repeated.
“Yeah.”
“What would be a possibility, Marlon?”
“The way you feel right now,” I said. “That’s why I didn’t want to continue it because I knew we’d end up here. And if we go any further, I’d have to say things I’m just not ready to say.”
“Things like what, Marlon?” she asked. “What are you talking about? You keep saying we gotta talk, but you ain’t saying nothing.”
Instead, I reached up and brushed a damp strand of hair back from her face, my hand lingering just long enough to feel the warmth of her skin.
“We gotta end this, Bunny.”
She searched my face, trying to read past what I wasn’t saying.
“Don’t play with me right now.”
“I’m not,” I said.
Her hand pushed against my chest as she tried to leave this conversation but I held her.
“I can’t be yourfirstlove, Rory,” I explained. “I shouldn’t be anyone’s first love. I ain’t first love material.”
“That’s not true!”
“It is.” I shook my head. “Our situation is messy enough as it is. This will only break your heart.”
She waved it off like it didn’t touch her.
“Say what you really mean,” she pushed. “It ain’t the situation that’s gonna break my heart. It’s you.”
I didn’t answer. Because she wasn’t wrong.
“I’m sorry, Bunny.”
“Right.” She slid out of my hold and off my lap, stepping out of the tub without looking at me. “Well. Thanks for the honesty.”
Her petty ass pulled the drain as she moved, water rushing out. Then she grabbed her robe, wrapping it tight around her body before walking out.
I sat there for a second, listening to the water drain, then pushed up and followed her.
She was in the bedroom, standing at the vanity, already moving through her routine with more force than necessary. Bottles of products opened and oil pressed into her skin, she rubbed them down like she wanted to start a fire.
“Aurora.”
She didn’t turn.
