Make You Love

Chapter 17

Before he met her, he never really felt good enough. Now, she was gone, replaced by someone else who didn't recognize him at all. While he dated Novah, he promised himself never to let Isla go. He'd done what he did best; skirting between both of them. Wanting to keep his damn options open.

"Stop telling me pretty little lies", Isla snapped, "I'm Mae."

She was skeptical of how Craig held her hand as if he would gladly hold her heart, too. His eyes watered, his strength faltered, he himself was falling off a cliff, only that the bruises he sustained were to his heart.

"Mae," he said, forcing himself to believe that all would be well soon.

"That's me." She flashed that smile that begged you to admire it.

He wanted to turn around and vanish from the room forever so that he'd never have to stand looking at the shadows of who used to be his best friend.

A/N: from now on, I'll refer to Isla as Mae.

"Do you... want to go home?" He crouched down to whisper in her ear.

She smiled, then whispered in return. "I can't wait. Care to give me a ride?"

A strange happiness bubbled in his chest. The hospital staff helped Mae into her wheelchair. They wrapped a blanket around her arms. Once they were out if the elevator, Craig pushed her wheelchair to the driveway, like he'd done many times before. He licked his lips; they tasted salty. His sights blurred as tear after tear rolled down his face. Was this really happening?

"Thanks, handsome stranger."  Mae giggled.

Craig paused in his tracks. Did she just call him handsome? She wasn't crushing on him, was she?

"Stranger?" He pressed the remote control to door of his limousine and it slid open.

Lifting her in his arms, he sat her down in the backseat, pressing a kiss on her forehead at the last moment before he closed the door and jumped into the driver's seat.

"Yep," She chirruped, "I still don't know your name."

His heart hammered in his chest. How would she react if he told her? Please, let it not be another fever, please.

"Another fever?" She asked.

Oh, shit. He slapped his forehead; it dawned on him that he'd been talking to himself.

"Nope, it's nothing. I'm Craig. Sherman." He smiled at the reflection of her pressing her forehead to the window in order to look outside, thinking of when he last kissed her.

"Okay. Can I have___ chocolate?"

"Sure." He tossed her a huge box that lay in the driver compartment. Mae.

He spent the rest of the day setting her home in order, brewing her coffee, and cracking jokes even when all he craved was a quite place to sit and cry.

"You're beautiful, Craig. Can we be friends?" She asked.

We were friends, Mae. And we'll always be.

" Oh my gosh, are you crying?" She reached out and traced his tears with her index finger.

He blubbered, "No, no, it's just___"

Coming even closer, so close that not even a feather could pass through them, she tilted his face to meet hers. She fluttered her lashes, studying him intensely, then wrapped her arms about his neck, standing on tiptoe so that she could reach his full height. He sucked in her smell of roses and peppermint. The swell of her breasts teased his chest as she kissed him, shyly at first, on his forehead.

His hands lingered on her waist longer than he intended, but she was so soft and tender that he couldn't help himself.

"I've returned the favor," She murmured. She'd sparked a thirst in him now that only her body was capable of quenching; he yearned to feel all of her.

"I want more," he answered, moving his palm up to the side of her face.

"Fuck it." He whispered. Next thing, his lips came crashing down on hers. He was shocked when she kissed him back with equal fervor, showing him just how much she___ loved him? He wasn't too sure about that.

She stopped when she tasted his tears.

"I'm so sorry,"  she said, and let go of him.

She unwrapped his hands from her waist, crossed them on his chest and backed away.

"Please leave. I shouldn't have made you bring me home." She was on the verge of crying too.

"Mae___"

"Leave."

"Mae___"

"Just leave. I no longer need you to push me around, anyways."

Then it hit him___ she'd been standing on her feet all the while.

"Mae___"

"For the love of God, leave!" She
shrieked. He dragged himself out of her house, through the driveway padded with snow and into his limo. He was leaving someone he cared for with the whole of his being. Again. The last time it happened, he'd regretted it. This time, he wanted to kill himself.