Antonia sighed while staring in the fire. This man...

Even though the whole crying incident was embarrassing, she was thankful that he was able to talk her off the ledge. On one hand, there was something so comforting about his presence. Whenever he was around, Antonia could be vulnerable and loose. Unlike her time with Derek, she didn’t have to perform with a plastered smile and memorize her lines. She felt somewhat normal around Aiden. On the other hand, that same presence could be overbearing and far too masculine. Being close to him made her stomach clench and panic riot within her. When she looked at him, she found it impossible to steady her erratic pulse. Oh my god, when was the last time a man made me feel this way? She searched her memory for any eager affection from Derek. Around a month ago, their lovemaking fell on the side of short and ineffective. It lacked the necessary foreplay for her to feel comfortable and the “main event” was anything but an event. Now that she knew the reason was another woman, the pieces quickly fell into place.

Antonia’s self-esteem also took a steep dive around that time. She’d started examining herself in mirrors and had become more critical of her weight. What her mother would’ve called “thick,” Antonia started to call “pudgy.” When Derek became obsessed with getting her in the gym with him, her alarm bells went off. It would be nice to be around a man who just let her be...her.

As if on cue, she snapped out of her thoughts to the sound of a sharp knock at her door. Antonia scrambled from the floor and ran to the front door. What on earth is he doing out in the middle of this storm? The rain was coming down in sheets and Aiden Byrnes was standing on her stoop. A bright flash of lightning lit the black sky behind him, illuminating the wild grin he wore and the green bottle of Jameson he held out to her. “Need a drink?”

“Jesus Christ, get in here,” Antonia said, trying to contain her laughter. She stepped back to avoid the downpour and his wet body. The crack of thunder was ear-splitting as she slammed the door shut. She watched in amazement as the fully-drenched man hurried past her, nearly slipping in the kitchen.

“Where are your glasses?” he said.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was concerned about you,” Aiden replied, searching her cupboards. When he found two rocks glasses, he shook out his wet hands and proceeded to pour heavy shots in both. “If you haven’t noticed, it’s storming out there.”

“Yes, it is,” she said, hiding her smirk. “You look like you went swimming in it.”

He took his shot in one gulp and passed her a glass. “I feel like it.” Aiden swept his wet black hair from his brow and winked at her.

She took the glass and swirled its contents around before she sipped it gingerly. She didn’t usually consume straight shots of anything. “Thank you for your concern, but I’m quite alright,” she said, wincing from the sting of alcohol.