Late Love

yan Fowler said this just as I was l

gan, stood at the doorway

I moved my lips away and shifted

ss my waist, and the next seco

n the hospital b

my fragile head hit the floor of hi

bedroom light, I was lyin

" Bryan never had any patience for m

Julie quickly rushed to my side

, Bryan would have let me

I heard the sound of slippers hitting the floor a

and fever, yet he still had t

warm, with a faint minty sce

ciousness, I was alr

urrounded me, and there wer

o how did she end up in the hospital?"

off the bed, all tha

pressed my feelings for him, Stacey kept

om the cold, devoid of any emoti

reason for me

lashes move." Bryan rea

opriate to kee

in a daze. Besides the softly speaking St

ser to me. "What

ce. I stretched out the hand that wasn't having an

who are t

; their family's wits all seem

forehead. "Sweetie, are y

away and smiled

beautiful, fair, and elegant, with the most captiv

my heart race. I was really foolish, pretendi

ding a doctor. "Bryan, Marlee hasn't lost her

, perhaps sensing that Bryan was about to scold

ime to play with you." Once everyone left th

, just bluntly laid it all out. His w

ice to me before?" I asked,

u're Stacey

mpty except for me. I had thrown a fit and chased Br

left wit

only seen Juli

ile and wanted to take a peek at him on the sly. I hid my

n I was kissing Bryan in his bed,

s just now, stand

ho always loved to go against Bryan. Whatever he forbade me to do, I insisted on d

out choices. I had never been in

n her." Stacey urged th

hand. "Stace

e, "It's not up to you to say yo

octor concluded, "You're fine now. Just take it easy,

thed a sigh

in close to me and asked, "You were pret

ea

id you stop

t pull the wool over

that last night's events were still fresh in

bout your heroi

c. But thinking about i

ange for a slice of pizza, I got the key to Bryan's house

Bryan's house wit

d medicine and snea

up, but the medicine was too hot, so I t

ct features and sharp angles. I

wanted to see if h

oft, unlike the polite and distant feeling he

aning closer, wantin

don't y

t, I really wanted

addling him, and leaned down to

a stalemate

aguely heard the sound of

yan

he only person who could have opened Bry

, "Bryan, your g

ay from me. He was giving me the cold s

just give in

my target

ed his ear, and Bryan'

with your anti

switched from kissing his ear to kissing his Adam'

the cold medicine I made f

rocess wasn't too bad, huh!" Stacey scratched her head,

uple of tears, but it was futile. I

d you end up in

my misery, my mom rushed

y aside and sat next to me, ho

harged." My mom, who was spoiled by my dad, had n

me home

agreeing repeatedly

, I needed to regain my confi

al at my house, escorted me

he lay down beside me as if it

ething to you?" She tugged li

pened the floodgate

tears rolled d

him, said I was annoying. He's

ipe my tears. "Did we maybe go a bit too f

out Julie being his girlfriend was

t climbing into Bryan's bed was that he

others joked about it, Bry

was just my way of

ed to ask what I

nose. "If he doesn't want me to cling, then I wo

n treated me? For over twenty years

to deceive. I was naturally outgoing and took it upon myself to approach her. I helped

tting up defenses with anyone. Within a month of know

her parents, Bryan was

equested Bryan to escort me to

?" Bryan asked aft

ck then, I was still the po

im, I rushed int

ck with the scent of incense, add

Halloween, always feeling lik

close nor too far, were terrifying, a

strap. "Why are you running? Y

as B

ut in a c

lding do y

blankly to

t's

d for me to l

nly twenty-five, seven years older tha

always a

gh school, Bryan ha

and after he agreed, she pushed her luc

tacey, Bryan took

my period and was in too much pain t

the day outside. She returned only to co

ing, Bryan knock

open it, Bryan handed m

I opened the box to find desserts fr

e, he asked, "Are

d him off. "It's nothing, just those f

trying to think of a good solution for me.

ked up and told me, "

me spe

ever we ate together, there was n

like a quiet, com

rty, she invited a good friend from college. The girl, bold and daring, approached B

d her but later strictly forbade

n was already quite