Page 67 of Never Started
"I've let you into my vagina. Does that count?" She stares at me blankly, clearly trying to divert.
I shake my head. "I want into yourheart."
"Me too. Good luck with that. That fucker is locked tight. The shop's been closed for years." She stares at me, eyebrows raised as her face remains hard to read.
She's challenging me.
She's scared.
It’s fear.
It's clear to me that when she gets scared, she shuts down. For some reason, commitment scares her. She's boldly independent. I already understand that all too well. I don't know what scares her about moving forward, but I want to know. I want to know everything there is to know about this woman.
I won't be giving up just because of her fears. I'll fight through them with her at her own pace.
"I guess it's a good thing I'm always up for a challenge," I say, keeping my tone direct and even, clearly showing that I'm not backing down from her.
There's a slight curve to her mouth as she rolls her eyes and shakes her head at my words.
She wants this, too.
She can build her walls as high as she'd like to; I'll make a fucking ladder tall enough to climb them. No matter what defenses she'd like to throw my way, I won't be giving up.
She's worth it. Every damn bit of it.
I’ve got all the time in the world.
Chapter twenty-nine
Izzy
March 2023
Just as I take a seat on my bed and begin to apply my makeup, there's a soft knock on my bedroom door.
"V, you don't have to knock. Come in."
"Just making sure your... little friend... isn't here," Via teases, walking in and sitting on the bed beside me.
I snort, unable to hold back my laughter. "Little friend? You make him sound like an Oompa Loompa."
"What's going on with you guys anyway?" she asks, lowering her voice to nearly a whisper. "He sure comes around a lot, and I really like him for you, Iz."
“Yeah, he’s cool,” I say nonchalantly, swiping on mascara.
“How poetic,” she deadpans. “Does that mean it’s getting serious?”
I pause, inserting the mascara wand back into the tube. It's been seven months, and Maverick has proven to be annoyingly persistent. I've quite literally brushed the guy off multiple times,and he just doesn't go away. At this point, I'm beginning not to mind. If I'm really being honest, I don't want him to stop.
What was supposed to be a one-night stand has turned into spending nearly every day together. He doesn't know how to take the damn hint. However, he doesn't push my boundaries either, which is a strange combination. Somehow, it works.
Typically, I don't even associate with the guys I sleep with outside of a bedroom. Things with Maverick are different from what I'm used to.
Completely different.
He makes it easy towantto be around him.
My feelings for him are beginning to evolve, which typically would scare me. In any other situation, this would be the point where I'd pull away.
