Page 55 of Someone Like You

“Trying to make you forget about everything that you could lose.”

“Why?”

“Because I’d rather you focus on losing yourself in this.”

I lowered my head and brushed my lips softly against hers as Raveena Aurora’s “Honey” poured soothingly from the speakers.

Giselle lifted her arms and wrapped them loosely around my shoulders. We swayed softly to the music while we lost ourselves in a passionate kiss. Her tongue was soft and sweet as I took my time and sucked it. When I finally let it go, our lips remained pressed together, and a subtle sigh was my sign that she was satisfied.

“Although I feel safe in your arms, you scare me,” she whispered just loud enough to be heard above the music.

“Don’t be,” I replied.

“I’m afraid that I will drown in you.”

“I’ll be your lifeboat.”

“You’re so involved with someone else right now.”

“No. That was business, business that I tried to make something more. It didn’t work. But you and me, this . . . it could definitely work. Stop overthinking things.”

“I can’t, Casimir. What if I fall?”

“My arms are wide open, baby, and strong enough to cushion your impact.”

She closed her eyes and bowed her head. I placed my hand at the back of her head and pressed it deeper against my chest, and my other arm remained wrapped around her.

I would do anything to protect her.

But she pulled away.

“I need some time, Casimir.”

I watched helplessly as she walked away from me, leaving my heart open and yearning for her.

Giselle

One Week Later

Ihad successfully managed to avoid Casimir for a week. Or maybe I hadn’t avoided him as much as he had given me what I asked for. Time. Space.

When I returned home from work this evening, Casimir wasn’t there. I missed his presence, the sound of him, and his scent.

I had been in the guest bedroom that I used as an office when I heard him fumbling around in the other bedroom opposite the guest room. The one I occupied, the master suite, was on a side all to itself.

I put my laptop down and headed toward him. I watched him unpack in silence for several seconds before he turned around and spotted me.

“I just grabbed the last of my things from the house,” he explained.

“Mkay,” I murmured.

“I bought dinner. It’s in the kitchen.”

I went to the kitchen and fixed our plates. Casimir had ordered some Indian cuisine. After we finished, we settled on the couch and talked about our day. Things were fine until he changed the conversation to a personal topic.

“Why do you keep asking me that?” I asked when he had asked for the hundredth time what hurt me.

“Because you know everything about me. Every little secret, desire, and dream, I’ve already revealed to you. All I want to know is who hurt you so badly, and how can I fix it?”

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