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“And that was me?” Muffy rolled her eyes, even though her breath hitched, and her heart fluttered. She hated her traitorous body. “That’s so corny. Seriously, what we had wasn’t real. Not one minute of it. It was on my end, but not on yours. I don’t trust you. I don’t know who you are. I don’t want you here. This is my place and Carla really should never have invited you over. If you seriously needed to apologize to give yourself closure and make yourself feel better, you’ve done it. You can move on now. We’ll both be fine. We barely even saw each other and it was… it was just like what everyone else does. A one-night stand and that was great. We can move on and be adults. Don’t worry. I’m good.”
Alex frowned so hard that his nose wrinkled at the bridge and the creases at the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Are you?”
“Fine?” Muffy shrugged. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Here’s the thing.” Alex raked his hand through his hair again and it definitely should not have been sexy standing on end, but it was. “The thing is, I stopped believing in anything with anyone and then I met you and I- watching you watch those stars like they were the best things you ever saw, right after you paid for my dinner like it was no big deal because you cared that I wasn’t humiliated, watching you chase down that guy who was trying to steal a purse… kissing you- touching you- I… the thing is, I’m not fine. I even want to quit my job.”
“Excuse me? You what?”
“I want to quit my job. I don’t know. It’s not making me happy anymore. I thought I’d give something else a try.”
“Like- like what? And please don’t say this is because of me. That you had some epiphany after we went out for like two seconds.”
“Sometimes all it takes is a split second for your entire life to change.”
“That sounds like a corny ass commercial.”
“But it’s true, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know. You had your chance. You’re not getting another one. I don’t even know who you are.”
Alex leaned forward on the couch and stuck out his hand. His beautiful broad hand with the veins that extended up from the back, into his muscular forearms, all the way up his biceps, into his broad shoulders. She knew how those veins felt. How crisp the hair on his arms were. How beautiful he looked in the low light of the apartment that wasn’t really his. God, she knew how good he felt pressed up against her, how he knew just what to do to make her feel treasured, special, alive in ways that no single other person ever had.
Alex didn’t even hesitate before he leaned over and took her hand. She let him, because she was honestly too stunned to pull away. “My name is Alex. I’m still that same guy who drove you out to see the stars. Who was impressed as hell when you helped that older lady in the park. Who is absolutely floored every single time you text me back or answer my calls or agree to go out with me again. I’m still that guy that thinks you’re absolutely beautiful. The most beautiful woman on the face of the planet. I’m still the guy who thinks you’re incredibly smart and talented and that- wow, you’re just- I’ve never met anyone like you and yeah, I’m a shit head. I didn’t do this the right way. I never expected to find someone like you, but now that I have, god, Muffy, I’m not letting you go. I’ll fight for you if I have to. You name it and I’ll do it. I want to get to know you. I want to start over. I want to…” Alex rubbed at his chest like it physically hurt there, and it probably did, because Muffy felt the same ache right above her ribs. “I’d do anything for another shot at taking you out. I don’t deserve it, but I’m sitting here asking for mercy and grace and- for just… just another chance. All I’ve thought about all week was you. I want it all. I want to get to know all of you. The good, the bad, the scars, the flaws. Except I know you don’t have any flaws, because I’m pretty sure you’re as close to perfect as actually exists.”
“No, I’m not,” Muffy mumbled, her voice all hoarse and wrong, her heart clenched up tight in her chest, so that it was nearly impossible to actually do something as simple as breathe. “I have lots of flaws.”
“Me too. I- I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but I know that I want you in my life. I don’t care if people would call it crazy, but I know. I know there isn’t anyone like you. You make me believe that anything is possible. No amount of money in the world could make me happy like you have this past week, and it might only be a week, but people who have been together for years have to start somewhere.”
