Free Who I Became (Who I Was Book 2) by Kasidy Blake

eyes travel ever so slowly from my eyes to my lips and I look down at his as his mouth parts in a big inhalation of breath.
    I let us have that moment for just a second then break it. I don’t want to make this harder on him and if he kissed me then I denied him, it would break him. Or… I am a selfish bitch and know that if I let him kiss me right now, I will break and welcome him back in.
    He smiles a sad smile, one that says he understands why I pulled away, but yet he is happy we were just in that “almost” kiss stage. 
    “Love, why don’t you go get in the shower now.” 
    His request isn’t for me.  I can tell he is losing his control—his resolve is very close to breaking and he needs me to take the step breaking this as he won’t be able to.  I am so flustered that I am two seconds from dropping my towel, then turn around to see him gripping the door frame looking over his shoulder on his way out,  paused and completely frozen—it makes me smile.
    “Thanks for your help Wesson.”
    My voice breaks his concentration and he mumbles a welcome while practically running out the rest of the way and slamming the door behind him.  I hear the front door open and close also and I am sure it is his attempt at putting more distance between us.
     
    ***
     
    WESSON
     
    I will never be able to get that image out of my mind.  I almost broke back there.  Nothing was going to stop me.  Thankfully I was able to walk away but it was probably the most difficult thing I have done.  I lean against the wall next to the door in the cold hoping it will cool me down.  I close my eyes and there she is, etched in my memory.
    She breaks our moment right before we kiss. I am sure that I saw something flash in her eye.  Something that I can’t place but it was there. Then she walks away in just a towel.  Her hair is bundled at the top of her head with a few pieces falling out which some would consider messy, I consider it fucking sexy as hell.  Then I see her loosen it from around her chest and slowly open it, just about to let it fall when she looks behind her.  Her eyes light up and darken at the same time.  She is happy I was still there and she wanted me to do what I wanted me to do.  Then it was gone, just as quick as it came and she thanked me for helping her. If only she knew that helping her, helped me.  I needed to be able to do something for her.  I need to always be there to take care of her.  When I thought I lost her, I had seen what our life could have been like flash before my eyes.  Just like when someone is going to die, they say their life flashes before their eyes. Know what an amazing family we could have had together flashed before my eyes.  It was the worst moment of my life losing her, then to see the possibilities playing over and over in my head made it worse.  I will never be able to tell anyone the relief I had knowing she woke up.  I refuse to ever lose her.  If for some reason she doesn’t remember me, I will still stay close because she is the only tree in this world providing me oxygen. 
    I smile at the memory that I keep replaying from five minutes ago just as I hear crunching coming up the driveway.  I have my gun drawn and my back against the door in two seconds flat.  Then I see Parker duck behind the car.   I think he very well may have shit his pants. I can’t help the laughter that builds up.  We are all a bit tired and that just struck me as funny.  He walks up shaking his head, and then rears back punching me in the gut.  He doesn’t hit me too hard but I double over like it was the hardest punch ever.
    “Seriously Wes? I have had enough guns pointed at me.”
    “Sorry.” It barely is audible because I can’t stop laughing.
    “Ass.”
    I nod because I am, then follow him over to help pick up the wood he dropped.  Walking back into the house, he asks why I was outside.
    “You don’t want to know.” I smirk. 
    He gets bug-eyed then shakes his head and