PATIENT LOVE

Chapter fourteen

"You're kidding!" I laugh.

"I'm one hundred percent serious," he tries not to laugh.

"How did you not notice his bare ass?"

"I have no idea, all I know is that when I was in the darkroom getting the pictures developed, I looked closely and noticed the man's bare ass in the corner of the shot." He says pointing at the spot in the photo from off his camera where you see the older male's behind.

"Gross." I shiver and Harry laughs at my reaction.

This is how we've spent the past forty minutes, just us talking, laughing, losing the bit of awkwardness we had with each other. Throughout those forty or so minutes he's told me crazy stories of what's been happening at Matt's parties, one of them being how Matt ran outside drunk and naked around his neighborhood as he shouted, "I can ride my bike with no handlebars!" Harry tells me. He also shows me his photography work that I've been dying to see and actually being able to now since we're speaking as we used to: jokingly, relaxed.

"Wow, you're amazing Harry. It's all breathtaking, you have such a good eye," I say in awe, not able to stop eyeing each and every picture he shows me.

Harry's POV

The whole time being here with Madelyn right now has been the best it's been for us this pass month. We're not behaving like strangers anymore and I'm thrilled because I honestly hated how we spoke around each other, so professional like. The last month was hell, I never realized the impact she had on me until we spent that long of a time apart in a sense.

Jess has been more involved in planning the wedding more than usual and at first it surprised me and I thought maybe it's time I do the same, change a little, work more on reconnecting with Jess. For a couple of days it worked but every appointment that I saw Madelyn it completely shattered. I'd find myself at home, on the many days where Jess was gone for some show, scrolling through old messages, desperately wanting to speak to her, call her, see her face, see her hazel eyes, but I couldn't so I resulted in recalling memories with her, remembering the different looks of her face, but my imagination was never the same as it was in person.

My mind wasn't and will never be able to render that same beauty to form in my mind as it is in person; nothing can recreate what Madelyn possesses.

I'm staring at her now as she looks at every picture in my camera, complimenting each one truthfully. I love watching how focused she looks and how her eyes widen at certain ones and how her finger will gently touch the screen of a photo she loves the most. I can't keep my eyes off her and she notices. She feels it.

She looks up at me and smiles a weak smile.

"We should probably actually talk about the wedding," she says pulling out the binder and flipping to the last page we all were working on.

From my seat beside her I see her imperfect but perfect face clearly. Her waved hair nowhere in her face, it's just purely her.

She's so beautiful it startles me. I don't even allow myself to think how this shouldn't be my thoughts but I don't care. I'm way passed that point and it's clear to me that I'll never be able to lessen my strong feelings of adoration for her.

I can't resist. I pick up my camera that she handed back to me before focusing on the planning and I take the picture. The first picture I've ever taken of her and to say I love it is an understatement.

"You did not just take a picture of me!" she laughs after hearing the clicking noise.

"But I did," I smirk and raise my brow.

"Let me see," she says, moving closer so that she'll see the picture better.

"Wow, it looks beautiful." She breathes.

"You're beautiful, don't sound surprised Madelyn," I say sincerely, not even having a second thought before saying it out of impulse. I gently move her fallen hair behind her ear, loving the look of her full face with nothing in the way.

"You're beautiful," I whisper, looking into her eyes. And for the first time I see a look I've never seen from her. Usually it comes from me but this time it's reflected in her hazel eyes as well.

My face moves inches closer to hers, my hand remaining at the spot on her cheek and the back of her neck. She lets out one heavy breath before my lips brush against hers, actually making contact. The moment our lips touch I feel a shudder run through me, a magnetic pull to her and I kiss her lips more and more and more.

She doesn't pull back; she kisses me also, hungrily as if she's been dying for this as I have. It's slow and breathtaking and I know I've never felt something like this before. I love the feel of her lips on mine. I feel her hands grip on different parts of my hair and both of my hands take their place on her face, pulling her even closer.

All sense is brought back when we pull apart for air and air alone. Nothing else was crossing my mind but her until we separated for our needy lungs.

We're both panting so hard, still so close, looking straight through each other. Her hazel ones lost in mine and my green ones lost in hers. I know my eyes are just as blazed and darkened with lust just as hers are right now.

What about Jess? The voice in the back of my mind says but how can this be wrong? It feels so perfectly right.

"You're getting married soon! Oh, God I'm planning your wedding!" she raises her voice as if just realizing and not believing what we just did.

"Don't tell me you didn't feel that! I know you felt it and so did I." I bring her face closer to mine again. "I can't help myself around you, I just can't, Madelyn." I say before claiming her lips again and no matter how reluctant she tried to be she melted into the kiss once again, pulling me close by my shirt. One of her hands pulled at my hair and I groan and something registers for her because she pulls back, pushing at my chest.

"We can't. This has to be strictly business professional," she says as she hastily gets up from our table towards the back of the slightly empty shop. She grabs her purse and the papers on the table and then she rushes out the coffee shop.

"Madelyn, wait!"

"No, Harry! I'm not going to wait or do this with you. You're getting married!" she stresses each word, trying to get it drilled into my head while she pokes at my chest.

"I think it's best if you find a new wedding planner," is the last thing she says before leaving. At those words I felt a pang of hurt and I know she registered it in my expression, but she still left.

"Madelyn, you-" I try to tell her she's left her blazer but she gets inside her car and drives off, almost hitting a parked car in her haste.

What have you done Harry?