As soon as I hear the front door open, I walk out of my office to see Candace running down the hall. She jumps into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist, and I’ve never seen a more perfect smile. She’s elated, and her joy is infectious, making me laugh, saying, “I take it you kicked ass?”
“I totally kicked ass. It was amazing!”
Her legs are clutched so tightly around me that I don’t even have to hold on to her, so I take my hands from her hips, move them to her face, and kiss her smile. She crashes her mouth with mine, enthusiasm controlling her. Taking her, I press her back up against the hallway wall, and before I can go in deeper with our kiss, she pulls away and starts laughing, telling me all about her audition. She spews out a bunch of French ballet shit, and I have no clue what she’s talking about, but she’s excited and happy, and that’s all I need to know. My smile is big as I stand here and watch her.
“I’m so proud of you, babe. I wish I could have seen you.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” she says as she combs her fingers through my hair. “Auditions are always closed.”
“When will you find out?”
“March first.”
“Next week?”
“Yeah, Friday,” she answers excitedly before pulling my head back to hers to kiss me, but I’ve got something to tell her as well.
Mumbling over her mouth, I say, “I’ve got news too.”
Not willing to take her lips from mine, she mutters, “What’s that?”
“Thinkspace Gallery called.”
Her head pops back. “And . . .?”
“They accepted your photo.”
“Your photo?!”
“No, your photo, babe.”
She smiles. She knows that picture is all her, and I refuse to take the credit for it.
“Congratulations,” she tells me, and I slow her down, wanting to really feel her against me.
I kiss her softly, gently sucking on her bottom lip as I graze my tongue along it. She tangles her hands in my hair when I band my arms around her. We move like this, taking our time, and when she pulls back, she peers into my eyes. There’s a look in her eyes that I can’t peg, so I ask, “What is it, babe?”
She takes her hand and runs it slowly down the side of my face, and I see the wall crumbling.
“I love you.”
Every part of me awakens, and I’ve never felt so alive. I didn’t think I needed to hear those words as much I did, but the trust that comes with them was what I craved the most.
“You’ll never know what those words just did to me,” I tell her and then carry her over to the couch so that I can show her, in our own way, how much I love her.
I lie on top of her, and she begins to lift up my shirt, so I reach over my head and pull it off. Sliding my hand down her leg, I lift it and wrap it around my hip.
“I’m sorry you had to wait so long,” she breathes.
“Don’t be,” I tell her. “You don’t even know how much you have already given me. When I met you, I found me.”
She smiles, saying again, “I love you.”
“I love you too, babe.”
We move slowly and spend the next hour making out the way we tend to do. I want more with her. I’ll always want more, but for now, I enjoy taking my time with her and savor every piece as she gives it to me.
“Ryan?”
Her soft voice pulls me from my sleep as I roll over and drape my arm around her from behind.
“Yeah, babe?” I whisper with my eyes still closed, but she doesn’t answer, so I let myself begin to drift back to sleep.
“Ryan?”
She calls my name louder, almost panicky, and when I open my eyes to look over at her, she’s still sleeping. I watch her for a second and then she screams, “Ryan!” as she flips onto her back, her hands clenched into fists.
“Baby, wake up,” I say as I hover over her, scared to touch her.
She begins trembling, pleading in a strained voice, “Please, not again.”
Fuck. Knowing exactly what her dream is, I panic. “Candace, babe. Wake up.”
“Get off of me!” she yells, frantically kicking her legs.
Quickly straddling them, I grip her upper arms as she thrashes herself against my hold.
“Get the f**k off of me!” she shrieks, and when she opens her eyes, tears fall freely down the sides of her face. She looks at me, but there’s nothing there. No focus. Her eyes are completely glazed over, scaring the shit out of me. “God, please stop!”
“Candace, wake up!” I bark at her, desperate for her to snap out of her nightmare.
She’s in a frenzy, screaming hysterically. Crying. I let go of her, and when I do, she desperately shuffles back and away from me, falling off the bed and hard onto her hip. I hop off the bed and kneel down in front of her as she’s huddled in a ball against the wall, sobbing.
“Don’t f**kin’ touch me!” she screams when I hold her shoulders with my hands, but I don’t take them off of her.
“Candace, open your eyes,” I beg as she covers her face with her hands. She’s so loud, and my mind is overwhelmed with anxiety.
Her breathing is rapid and she’s terrified, but I need her to know she’s safe.
“Candace, please. Look at me. It’s only me here with you.”
I take her wrists to move her hands from her face, and she turns her head to the wall as she cries.