Even worse was when I’d lay down for bed. My body ached for her, and it transcended into my dreams. Parts of them were in her bed with her beneath me, and others were of us on my couch, my dick buried deep inside her as she held on tight to my neck. They blended together at times, unable to decipher what was real and what wasn’t. But one thing always remained constant…her sweet voice as she whispered into my ear how much she loved me, filling me with more emotion than one person was meant to have. It felt too believable, too honest and pure to be a lie.

And then my eyes would pop open.

Thursday seemed to be slightly better. The ache was still present, but my pride began to come through, convincing myself that she’d come around. I knew she wouldn’t be able to deny her feelings and escape me forever. Especially if her daughter was in my class. Not to mention, Fate had a way of stepping in when we were too stubborn to do it ourselves.

As if I held some special ability to see into the future, Aubrey walked into my classroom, stunning me at the mere sight of her. The day had ended and all the students were gone. I had just finished putting the last of my things into my briefcase, readying myself to head home.

“What’s wrong? Where’s Ayla?” I asked out of sheer panic that something had happened.

Her shoulders weren’t straight and her eyes appeared tired. I worried that whatever had brought her to me was bad, but then she shook her head and came closer to me with her hands up. “She’s with my sister. I was heading up to see my dad. He’s out of ICU now.”

I steeled myself, not knowing what to expect from her visit. “Okay. Then why are you here?”

She took one more step and then dropped her arms, appearing defeated. “I wanted to apologize for the other night. You were right about me being scared. I am. I’ve spent six years believing one thing, going about my life with certain opinions of you, and then you waltz back in and expect everything to magically be better. I can’t just forget everything that’s happened. You can’t just show up, make love to me, and everything miraculously work itself out.”

I leaned against the edge of my desk, crossing my ankles in front of me in the hopes of not appearing as weak as I felt around her. She’d always thought of me as the strong one, and maybe in most aspects, I was. But around her, when it came to Bree, I was weaker than a stretched-out rubber band. “We’ve both gone all this time with beliefs and opinions of the other that were inaccurate. That’s why you shouldn’t push me away. We can get past it. We can figure it all out together.”

“I know, Axel. I hear what you’re saying, and you make it sound so easy. But it’s not. What happened the other night…it was a moment of weakness.”

“No, Aubrey!” I stood up straight, closing the space between us. “Don’t say that. You’re letting your fears get to you if that’s what you think. I’m not going to hurt you. No one is going to force us apart this time. You just have to give in and try.”

“I–I just have to figure some stuff out. Okay? Can you at least let me do that? There are so many things I want to tell you, share with you. But I need a little bit of time. Ever since you came back into my life, things have been hectic. With my dad in the hospital, with work, with Ayla…I haven’t had a moment to figure anything out. And then you come over, we get lost in the moment, and it’s like everything has been swept under the rug. But one day, that rug is going to be pulled out from underneath us, and we’ll be knocked on our asses in a giant pile of shit.”

“If you need time to sort it all out, then fine. But don’t expect me to vanish in the meantime. Don’t think for one second that I’m going to sit on the sidelines while you get over whatever it is you’ve been holding against me for years.”

She rolled her eyes as if our conversation had exhausted her. “Can you please remember that I was seventeen when you left? That’s rather young. Add in how I’d never been in a relationship prior to that, I didn’t have an honest sense of love, and my mom had pretty much brainwashed me into believing I was a piece of crap. So keep that in mind when trying to figure out what I went through after you left. I thought you got what you wanted and then didn’t need me anymore. You made pretty promises, said the perfect words, and etched yourself into my heart. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. And then once you got what no one else ever could, you vanished. So pardon me for thinking the worst. Excuse me for having doubts and lingering resentment toward you that won’t just disappear with an orgasm.”

“Is that really what you thought of me?”

Bree laughed, but I could tell by her eyes that it wasn’t out of humor. “Coming from the man that thought I was the one that supplied the school with secrets about us. That’s rich, Axel.”

“In case you’ve conveniently forgotten, I tried to turn you down. I tried to put an end to it. You’re the one that wouldn’t let me. You’re the one that pursued me and said you needed it. So how in the world could you possibly think that about me?”

Her eyes scanned the ceiling tiles above us. “Insecurity, I guess.”

“Like I said…we have a lot to move past. I don’t think it’s impossible.”

“We’ve destroyed each other in some way. Why would you even want to be with me again? After all we’ve been through, why in the hell does it seem like a good idea for us to try again?”

I reached for her hand, barely holding on to her fingertips but craving the connection. “We didn’t destroy each other, Aubrey. Society and circumstance did. I know better than anyone how devastating the end was for us, but put that aside for a moment and think back to before that happened. Remember how we were in the months prior to it all imploding? We were good together. Great. And I know we could be even better now that we’re older.”

“I know,” she whispered, lowering her head until her chin touched her chest.

“So why not try?”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t try. I only need time to work some things out first. I won’t push you away while I sort everything out, but please allow me enough space to do this on my own.” Her sad eyes finally met mine, and I had no choice but to believe her. “But there’s a very real chance I will be the one to hurt you.”

I smiled, despite the fact that her lips remained flat. “I highly doubt that’s possible, Bree.”

She nodded and took a deep breath. With the slight hold I had on her fingers, I pulled her into my chest, wrapping my arms around her, holding her tightly against me. It only took a second before she circled my waist with her arms and relaxed her body against mine.

“Just so you know…I’ve always had a fantasy involving you, my desk, and a whole lot of moaning,” I teased into her hair.

She leaned back and smiled, the comfortable easiness we always shared returning. The way her top lip nearly disappeared proved her happiness was genuine. God, she was always so easy to read. I loved that about her.

Her hands caressed my cheeks before sliding into my hair. “I don’t know how I feel about the short hair,” she said as she studied me. “I couldn’t grab onto it the other night. I liked pulling on it before.”

My abs clenched with a short laugh. “I know. How could I forget the way you held onto it like reins. Nearly yanked out every single strand. But since we’re being honest about hair…I don’t know how I feel about the brown.” I twisted a lock of her hair around my fingers, enjoying the silky texture. “I’ve always loved the red.”

“Well, I hated it. And I’m so glad Ayla didn’t get it.”

I pictured her daughter in my mind, thinking about her features. “She has some really blond hair,” I said with a chuckle. “But I have to admit, I don’t really think she looks very much like you. Are you sure you didn’t kidnap her?”