Page 10 of Love Rewritten

She narrows her eyes but doesn’t complain about the new rules. She steps up again, hands braced on my hips to rise on her toes. Our lips meet for a second time, but she doesn’t pull away. She goes back for another, and I am in no position to complain.

I feel her smile against my mouth before her lips part, letting me in for more. Our tongues swirl together before I press her backward against the bookcase. She doesn’t resist. Her mouth remains on mine. I set the book on a shelf behind her to wrap my hand around the back of her neck, my fingers weaving into the hair at her nape while my other hand clings to her waist. I silently wish there wasn’t any fabric separating my hand from her soft skin.

The kiss deepens until we both startle when someone clears their throat at the far end of the shelving unit. We pull away to see a librarian standing next to a cart of books, arms folded, and very annoyed.

“Sorry,” Abby says frantically, looking around for something, her cheeks now a bright shade of pink.

I grab the book and hand it to her before she drops her head and walks briskly back toward the study room. The librarian watches us leave before turning back toward her cart and returning to her duties.

When we get back, Abby sets the book on the table before sitting down, staring at the purple cover. Once I sit, we lock eyes and immediately break down laughing. The laughter, honest guttural laughter, feels so good. It’s been too long since I’ve laughed this hard.

Once we both catch our breath, Abby slumps against the back of her wooden chair, a smile still on her face.

She leans in and points at me. “You planned that, didn’t you?” She draws her lower lip into her mouth, and it takes everything in me not to jump across the table and bite it for her.

“I hoped you’d take the bait.”

She smiles, shaking her head slowly. “Mmhmm. Did that do it for you? You feel better about yourself?”

I lean forward, elbows braced on the table. “Oh, absolutely. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

She sticks her tongue out at me. “You are atrocious.”

“And you are magnificent.”

She smirks, then leans forward even more, mimicking my posture. “That’s a big word for you.”

The eye contact remains for a moment longer, neither of us saying anything. The empty space between us feels too big, but it holds amusement and satisfaction as we breathe the same air.

She sits back abruptly, opening that purple book that has brought so much enjoyment in the last ten minutes. So, I let her work, not wanting to pull her out of the serenity of these four walls.

Chapter 5

Abby

Onceweparkthebikes after getting home from the library, Dallas stops me short of the front door. “Wait, can I talk to you about something before we go in?” He looks nervous, fidgeting with the strap of his helmet.

I turn around to fully face him, gripping my helmet in one hand, the other holding tightly to my backpack straps. “Uh, sure. About what?”

He takes a deep breath. “My mom called. She’s curious if you’ve put any more thought into starting this whole legal process. She says the sooner you start it, the easier it will be. For the system, that is. Not necessarily mentally. But we’ll be here for you the whole time.”

I swallow hard and look at the ground. I kick around a few pebbles idly while I think about what to say. My mind feels so jumbled that I’m not sure I’m making any coherent thoughts. It’s been pleasant ignoring my problems the past two weeks and I almost forgot I chose to press charges. Now, with that decision placed in front of me again, I feel my energy for it wavering. “I don’t know,” is all I can muster.

Dallas watches me for a moment before speaking. “Do you think you’d be up for at least talking with my mom? Seeing what she has to say?”

“I don’t know,” I repeat. Everything sounds so daunting. The weight of it feels like it could crush me.

Dallas lets a long breath go and steps closer, grabbing one of my hands. I keep my sight trained on the ground but relish the warmth of his touch. It's the only thing keeping me stable right now, keeping me from running from where I stand. Away from here. From my problems. Away from all of it.

But I don’t want to leave him.

“I know this feels terrifying right now, but you may feel a little better just getting some perspective from someone in the legal system. She’ll be able to give you better insight into this than I can.”

He pulls my eyes to his with a finger on my chin. There’s a hint of desperation there.

“Okay,” I say, that single word feeling so heavy.

He nods, pulling me into a tight hug.

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