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HUGS, KISSES, AND HYPERSEXUAL MANIA

Lizzie

OCTOBER 13, 2003

M EDICINE DIDN’T WORK ON ME ANYMORE .

Therapy worked even less.

When I told Hugh just that, after my latest sit-down with the white coats, he went off on a tangent.

“If you opened up and told them what’s going on inside that brain of yours, then maybe they could find the correct form of treatment.” Leaning against my kitchen counter, he continued to peel an apple. “I know you’re not speaking up in your sessions,” he continued to grumble. “And I know your bipolar symptoms are wreaking havoc on you, baby, so please do me a favor and start talking to the doctors.” He implored me with his eyes to listen. “They can help you if you just open up.”

Yeah fucking right .

“All they do is prescribe more tablets,” I reminded him from my perch on said island. “I don’t need any more fucking tablets, Hugh.”

“You absolutely do if that’s what they think will help,” he argued, placing the neatly peeled skin into my waiting hand. “This is serious , and we need to get a handle on this now, baby.”

“Look at me, Hugh.” I beamed at him. “I’m fine.”

“Presently,” he replied. “But you’re not okay, Liz. You know your moods are shifting way too fucking fast to be okay.”

“I’m not manic,” I argued back, hating that he was killing my buzz. “I won’t become manic.”

“You know how it starts,” he continued, ignoring my pleas of sanity and serenity. “Just like this. You’re up and down for a few weeks, while the roller coaster ascends higher and higher, until you peak and get sucked up in another crushing episode.”

I arched a brow, amused by his analogy. “I’m a roller coaster?”

“You’re a roller coaster of mood swings,” he quipped. “It starts with the climb, a.k.a. the joy, and then you go higher to the kissing part, and then higher again to the sleepless nights and get more fucking reckless with your life, until you peak, do something that almost gets you killed, and drop into the depression.” Scratching his jaw, he took a bite of his apple before adding, “Don’t forget I’ve been a passenger on said roller coaster since I was seven.”

“If you hate it so much, why do you keep riding it with me?”

“Because I love you,” he replied simply. “And life’s never boring with you.”

I watched as his teeth sank into the apple and a shock of awareness hit me deep in my core.

Unable to stop myself, I raked my gaze over him greedily.

He had the best forearms. His shirt was pulled up to the elbows and he had gorgeous, corded forearms. Veiny and strong with a dusting of dark hair.

Fucking beautiful .

“Get naked,” I purred, flicking open the buttons of my school shirt. “Now.”

“Oh, no, no, no,” my boyfriend warned, holding a hand up. “Cover those tits, witch. We’re not going there right now.”

“Why not?” I said, backing him up against the counter. I dropped to my knees and reached for the button on his school trousers. “You know I have a free house until tonight.”

“See, this is exactly what I meant about your moods shifting,” Hugh argued, trying and failing to wrestle my hands away. “Baby, we’re in the middle of a conversation and you’re trying to…fuck!” A sharp hiss escaped him when my mouth came around his length.

“Mm,” I moaned, frantically working him over with lips, teeth, and tongue.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he groaned, hips thrusting of their own accord. “You don’t need to do this…”

His words broke off when I locked eyes with him and traced his length with my tongue.

“Baby,” he whispered, and then one of his hands was in my hair, while the other cradled the back of my head. “I can’t think straight when you put your mouth on me.”

Good.

That was exactly what I wanted.