Page 82 of Diamonds

Fuck the woman I love.

Make love to the only woman I adore.

In and out, in and out.

I’m building to a climax.Alissa’s walls are tightening around me, quavering, as though she’s about to explode as well.

Pump.Pump.Pump.Into the woman I love.

And I’m bursting.A volcanic rush into her.

She lets go too, clamping around me as I release.

Four.

It is only when I lie down next to her that I realize that I’m still fully clothed.

Damn.

I roll off of her.I didn’t do anything like I planned.Didn’t command her to do anything to me.

Because once she told me she loved me, none of that mattered anymore.

My pleasure didn’t matter.

All I cared about was pouring myself into her.

I’m in love.

With this flawless woman.

We lie there for several minutes, gazing into each other’s eyes.

She finally breaks the tension with a light giggle.

I brush her cheek.“What is it?”

She shakes her head.“Nothing.I was just… I can’t believe you love me back.”

“How couldn’t I?”

“We’ve known each other for a little over a week.”She wrinkles her nose.“It doesn’t make any sense.People need to know each other for longer than a week to declare their love for each other.It’s not as if we’re a fairytale prince and princess, wed after one kiss.”

I sit up.“Alissa… You’re right.It doesn’t make sense.But nothing in this world does, when you think about it.Innocent people die young while evil people make it into old age.Terrible things happen every day, and there’s nothing that anyone can do about it.We try to make sense of things, place them in little boxes and pretend that they’ll stay there.But it’s all nonsense.All of it.Our world is governed by chaos.”I cup her cheeks.“But if there’s one thing in the world thatdoesmake sense, it’s you and me.Together.I knew it from the moment you walked into my shop.”

She smiles, her eyes glistening.“Maddox, you’re such a beautiful soul.”

“So are you, baby.”

I kiss her on the lips.

No tongues, no teeth.Just love.

She breaks the kiss and widens her eyes.“Damn it.My dress.It’s going to get wrinkled.”

“You can wear another dress if you’d like.”

She shakes her head.“It has to be that one.It’s… It’s a very meaningful dress to me.I wore it the night of my master’s recital at Northwestern.It was the last time I truly felt like an artist.The last time I truly felt my soul touch the divine… At least, until I met you.”