Invisible String

Chapter 3 - Illicit Affair

After a few, very blissful moments of his hands on my body and his mouth on mine, he pulled back a little and asked softly, "So, please tell me why we shouldn't do this?"

I sighed. "Because we broke up. And we broke up for a reason, Alex. Not to mention, I haven't seen you in months."

"We ended it for a stupid reason," he breathed against my mouth before his lips met mine again. He grabbed my ass and lifted me up against the archway, holding me with his pelvis pressed against mine and his hands grasped firmly on my underside. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him against me. My legs locked around him and he carried me over to the couch and laid me down, then got on top of me. His lips pressed against my own, then went down my neck, working his way to my chest.

"You lived in LA and I lived here. We never saw each other," I breathed out. "It wouldn't be different now."

"Yes, it would, Hannah."

"How?" I asked, looking down.

"Because I'm moving." He smirked.

"What?" I pulled out from underneath him and sat up. His mouth turned from a smirk to a full-on smile as he watched me react. He sat up across from me. "When? Where?" I asked frantically. I was both excited and nervous. It had been so long since I'd seen him and now he'd dropped a bomb like this one on me... it had been absolutely shocking, to say the least.

"I'm moving to New York in less than a week. A few blocks from here."

"Why?"

"Because everything I want is here," his hand reached out and it grazed my cheek.

My heart almost fell out of my chest at that moment, like it had left my body entirely. As if I had been hollowed out, completely bare. Was that a good sign?

"My life won't change. There are plenty of great recording studios out here. My manager is here. And you're here. We can try this again." He kissed my forehead and pulled me onto his lap, my legs on either side of his own. "I want to try this again."

"How did this go from you asking me out on one date, to a full-on 'let's do this'?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Do you not want to?"

"I... I don't know. This is... a lot to process. With everything else going on–"

"What has been going on ? Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because I'm stuck!" I crawled off him, scooting backward on the couch, into a corner, and brought my legs up to my chest. "I'm stuck."

"What do you mean?"

What had I meant? Aside from my editor wanting me to write a completely different book, what was going on with me? I'd been working hard... or trying to, so much so, that I'd completely shut down all other aspects of my life. I was a recluse. I'd pulled away from those who cared about me. I locked myself in this apartment away from the world. And for what? To write a book that wasn't getting published anyway? What had been the point of all of this?

"I don't know. Honestly, I really don't."

"Then stop it. Let me help you. Come out with me and give me a chance, please, Han." He reached out for my hand and grasped it tightly.

I looked up into his kind eyes and saw how much this meant to him. He truly wanted it. And I wasn't about to flat-out deny him. Maybe he would be right. Maybe we could figure it out now. Maybe things would really be different.

"Fine..." I smiled half-heartedly.

"Fine? That's all I get?"

"Fine, Alex, I will go out with you."