Page 111 of My All American Girl

47

SARAH

My heart was breaking. I understood this was the end. I wasn’t ready for it to end, but I didn’t get a say in that. He had just laid it all out.

It was bad timing. Everything I felt for him had to be buried and put away. It hurt. I didn’t want to let him go, but I understood it was no longer my choice.

I sat there, my heart pounding in my chest as his words echoed in my mind. His hand was warm around mine. The connection between us felt so much deeper than a fling.

Was this really it? Was I about to lose him? Although I heard his words and I totally understood them, I couldn’t get my head around the idea it was real. I would never get to be in his arms again. My mind refused to accept it. In such a short time, he had become a part of my life.

“But Dean,” I started, my throat dry. “Can’t we try?”

“No, Sarah.” He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “We’ve gone over this. It’s not just about us anymore.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak as I felt tears prick at the back of my eyes. His expression was stern.

“I understand.” I looked around his home. We were here. We were alone. And as far as I knew, no one knew I was here.

“Dean?”

“Yes?”

“I get it. I understand. We’re over.”

“I’m sorry.” He sighed.

“Don’t be. It’s definitely not your fault. I know it’s the right thing to do. I accept that. But I was just thinking…”

“What is it?” he asked softly.

I felt silly. But I was still human. I had feelings. I had some very strong feelings for this man. It was going to kill me to walk away from him. I needed one last kiss. One last time. If we were saying goodbye, I wanted a good memory to walk away with. Something that would keep me warm at night.

“Can we have one last night together?” I blurted out.

His eyes widened for a moment, clearly surprised by my request. Silence fell between us as he seemed to consider it, eyes searching mine.

“Just one night, Dean,” I whispered, pleading. “We’ll draw the line tomorrow and never cross it again. Just one more night. You know we both want it. You know we are both going to walk away from this and regret not getting a proper goodbye. Think of it as closure.”

He was silent for a while, his gaze never leaving my face, and then slowly, he nodded. “One more night,” he agreed, his voice low and husky.

As he pulled me into his arms, I clung onto him tightly. Both of us knew this was the beginning of our end, that every moment from now would be a countdown to our final goodbye.

His hands threaded into my hair as he kissed me. It was filled with a yearning and an intensity that left me breathless. It was a lover’s kiss, one that was filled with promises and heartache, one that spoke volumes about what we had and what we were about to lose.

“My bedroom,” he whispered.

I got up and extended my hand to him. “Show me the way.”

His touch was gentle, yet firm as he led me through the narrow hallway to his room. It was a simple space, clean and orderly with a big bed in the middle. There were no personal touches, no photographs, no memorabilia. But then again, Dean wasn’t that kind of person. He didn’t hold on to things. He moved forward.

He turned to me, pausing in the doorway.

“This sucks,” I sighed.

He smiled. “I know.”

Dean reached out and pulled me close again, his arms wrapping around me tightly. I buried my face into his chest, the familiar smell of him bringing a smile to my face. There was comfort and longing and so much more.