Page 26 of The Status Situation

The kitchen is not very big, but it’s never been an issue. Black appliances sit atop granite countertops, and even the basin and faucet of the sink are black chrome. Instead of a table, there’s an island, with the sink and dishwasher on one side and a breakfast bar with three stools on the other.

The living room sits under the loft bedroom and is rather sparse. It holds a single, leather brown couch, a scuffed brown coffee table, a large flatscreen, and a single bookshelf.

“It’s okay,” I tell her, finally responding to her earlier statement. “I don’t mind. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Water?”

With a nod, I head to the kitchen, where I pull a bottle of water out of the fridge. As she takes a seat at the breakfast bar, I pass her the water and then lean my ass against the counter, purposely keeping the island in between us. I have never wanted to touch someone as much as I do now. So, instead, I grip the granite behind me, my eyes trained on her throat as she drinks.

“How long were you waiting out there?” I ask curiously.

She laughs softly. “A while.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

Her face turns red at my question. “Because I forgot my cell phone at home. Darius had already driven away and—” she sighs and picks at the label on the bottle. “It’s been a bit of a day.”

“I can tell. I’m sorry,” I say honestly.

She shakes her head, her focus still on the damn label. I wish she would look at me, but she doesn’t seem to be able to yet. “No, I’m sorry, Mark. For all of it. Everything. You were honest with me about your feelings, and I… I didn’t react very well.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that.”

“Except I do,” she retorts. “I freaked out, got scared, and disappeared. You didn’t deserve that.”

I scratch the back of my head and cross one leg over the other while I formulate my response. She finally seems to be opening up, so I don’t want to push her, but she did come here to talk, right? “You’ve been hurt before, Maria. I’m not going to fault you for trying to protect yourself. But, if you don’t mind my asking, why did you freak out and disappear? Did…did you think I was trying to pressure you?”

“Oh no!” she exclaims quickly, her eyes snapping up to mine. “God. Mark, no. Not at all. It was me. I was, am, scared, but not because of anything you did.”

I tilt my head to the side in curiosity. “What’s got you so afraid?”

“I’m afraid that you are going to wake up one day and regret picking me. That you are going to end up resenting me for everything you missed out on because you were with me. I’m worried that you would just be settling with me, and that you are going to miss out on someone amazing.”

“You are amazing, Maria,” I tell her firmly. I push myself off the counter and move around the island. I knew that she had low self-esteem, but I didn’t expect it to actually threaten to come between us. When I reach her, I tilt her chin up with my fingers. “You are everything I could ever possibly want. Need I remind you who’s been pursuing whom?”

She smiles shyly. “Technically, I was the one who started all this with the whole status thing.”

“And I’m the one who took it offline and into real life,” I correct, letting my hands drift over her shoulders and down her arms. “I am in this, Maria. I wouldn’t be pursuing you so hard if I weren’t sure about my decision, and my decision is you. I could never regret being with you, because you are perfect in my eyes. And if you let me, I am willing to spend however long it takes to help you see what I see when I look at you.

Time is suspended. The only sound is that of my pounding heart. I knew I wanted this. I have known that for a while; I just didn’t fully understand how much until now. Now that there is a chance that I might actually lose her. Of course, I would let her go if that’s what she decides, but there is a real possibility that it will kill me in the process.

With her bottom lip pulled between her teeth, she rises from the stool in front of me. I take a step back so that she has enough room, but she follows me and puts her hands against my chest. I cover them with my own.

“I do want this, Mark,” she whispers. “I want us. I want to give this a real shot if that’s what you still want.”

The relief I feel is instantaneous, and it feels like my whole body relaxes. I let my hands go around her waist, pulling her flush against me. “You are what I want. You are all I want, Maria.”

“Good.” She grins. “Then you have me for as long as you want me.”

“So, forever then?” I tease, lowering my mouth toward hers. I am only partially joking, too. I can absolutely see a forever with her.

Her nose does that adorable little scrunching thing before she pulls me down the rest of the way. Her lips crash against mine, hungry and desperate, mirroring everything I’ve felt for the last three days. My cock stiffens immediately, and the basketball shorts do very little to hide it.

She grinds her hips against mine, her core rubbing against me in all the right places. Gripping her thigh, I hike her leg up over my hip, allowing my cock to brush along her clit. She groans in response, and the kiss becomes frantic with need, with desire and lust, and everything else that words cannot describe.

As amazing as this is, it’s not enough. I haven’t seen or spoken to her in three days, let alone touched her. I need more. Grabbing her ass, I lift her onto the breakfast bar and gently nip along her jaw. My fingers dig into her thighs, loving the feel of having my hands on her skin again.

Maria, on the other hand, seems to have other ideas as her hands go to the waistband of my shorts and shove them down over the curve of my ass. When she grips my cock in her hand, I moan into her mouth. One would have to be stupid not to see where this is going, and she’s the one leading the charge, so I don’t question it.