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Dropping my lips to hers, I kissed her. The first kiss with everything I had on the table, bared to her. A kiss that held nothing back. A kiss with my truth out in the open, in the palms of her hands. I kissed Jacqueline like I wanted to kiss her; like she was mine and I was hers.

Finally, I pulled back, unable to stare into her eyes for long before I cleared my throat and shifted off of the bed.

I glanced down, realizing I never even got my pants off.

“I’m going to go.” I cleared my throat after my words, rubbing the back of my head as I stood from her mattress.

Jacqueline slowly sat up, her bra still around her waist, before she rested her arms on her bent knees, “…Okay.”

My clothing was by her entryway door, there wasn’t anything for me to justify lingering in her bedroom like this. So I forced my gaze up to hers, attempting to smile, but unable to hold it this time.

Jacqueline’s lips parted, a tear escaping her eye as she watched me discard the condom in a nearby bin and zip myself back up.

“I…” I hesitated at her bedroom door, squeezing my fingers against the wood, “I’m sorry.” I wasn’t sure what, exactly, I was apologizing for. For telling her something huge while I was still deep inside of her? For irrevocably changing the dynamic between us forever? For developing the feelings in the first place?

Perhaps all of the above.

So I stepped out, slowly closing her bedroom door behind me.

Right when I heard the latch click, I barely heard Jacqueline’s muffled voice say, “Don’t apologize,” before I left.

ChapterTwenty-Six

JACQUELINE

“Too much?”He asked through a heavy breath. It sounded like he was really exerting himself.

“No,” I gasped, pushing back into him, “You’re perfect.”

* * *

I spiraled all weekend.

I also FaceTimed Marco a lot. Perhaps that justified his grumpy greeting when I FaceTimed him again Monday morning before I left for the office.

“Oh my hell,” Marco answered on the second ring, “I’m still in bed.”

Samuel’s muffled groan echoed off-screen.

“How do I go to work today?” I asked, fidgeting with my car keys. I hadn’t pulled out of my spot yet, scared to even put my shoes on. Knowing the next step would be taking me to Leo.

“One foot in front of the other,” Marco groaned, laying an arm over his eyes, “Tits up.”

“I’m serious,” I groaned, my leg was bouncing, shaking my kitchen stool “We haven’t spoken since—”

“Do you love him?” Marco asked behind his arm.

“I don’tknow,” I replied.

“Okay, well, I can’t figure that out for you.” Marco sighed, removing his arm and leveling me with his dark eyes that matched mine, “You both have survived a lot during the workday, you’ll survive this, too. I promise he’s feeling more insecure than you are right now.”

“…Because he said it first?” I asked.

“Because he said it atall,” Marco shook his head, “He’s made it clear he doesn’t expect you to say it back. The ball is completely in your court here. To open himself up like that, to make himself vulnerable to such a big rejection, is fucking terrifying.”

That…didn’t make me feel better.

“I just don’tknowyet.”