“Forrest, I can’t hold back,” she cries out, and I see trying so hard to keep her eyes open, even though she wants to close them to hide the love she feels for me. It’s there, buried deep inside, but I see it.

“Then don’t. Fuck, Harper, don’t hold back from me.” I groan as we both fall into the depths of an intense orgasm that joins our emotions together.

As I fall onto her body and roll us both over so I’m on my back and she is lying limp on top of me, I whisper into the dark night.

“Stay.” It’s just one word but so important to me.

“I couldn’t move my body if I tried,” she mumbles into my chest, and although it’s not what I meant, it will do for now.

HARPER

You would think being fucked within an inch of your life would make you sleep, but apparently not.

Initially I slipped into that post-orgasmic coma that had me floating in a peaceful place, but it’s now 4:27 am on my phone, and I’m lying here listening to Forrest’s soft breaths and wondering what the hell I should do.

I told him in the beginning not to fall in love with me, but he didn’t listen, and to be honest, I didn’t listen to my own words either.

Relationships aren’t my thing I said and asked him what would happen if I never reached the same page as him.

But I have!

I’ve fallen in love with Forrest Taylor, and I don’t fucking know what to do with that.

This was never meant to happen because love only brings hurt and heartache. And I don’t want that for either of us. My head is telling me to run, but my heart is begging me to just try. What if this time it doesn’t cripple me with pain. What if I deserve to feel happy.

Like I’m good enough to have someone fight for me. To hold me in a place of the purest love that should never break me the way my father did.

I like the burn in my heart every time Forrest looks at me. He doesn’t even have to touch me, and I know what he is feeling.

And the strangest thing about all of this is that I have some crazy man out there stalking me and my biggest fear tonight is that I’ve fallen in love with someone. That makes no sense, but it’s the truth.

Love scares me more than someone who could kill me.

Cherie is right. I’m fucked up and need to sort my shit out.