I'm still soaked from the rain, sitting on my couch trying to talk myself into putting Zane's ring on my finger, when the door bursts open and Paul rushes inside. "You can't marry him." He tells me, but it's not harsh or demanding, instead it's a question. Like he's begging me.

"Paul-" I begin but he cuts me off, pacing the room as his mouth winds off a rant.

"You don't get it! I love you, I really fucking love you! And I know we don't really know each other but I want to know you! I want to be with you, kid or no kid, I want to be the one who's standing at the end of that isle whether it be now or fifty years from now however you want it, I'll be waiting for it I'll be waiting for you forever, you couldn't possibly love me as much as I love you I get that but I can't sit here and let you marry him-" He rants so hastily I'm afraid he's going to run out of breath altogether.

"Paul, just-" I try again, but he won't hear me.

"He's your best friend, I know that I wouldn't want to change that, it might not seem like it but he's practically my brother too, really he is, I'm not saying you have to give him up but don't be with him this way-"

He continues to rant, holding onto his head as he paces, and I have to grab hold of his neck to make him focus on me. "Just," I begin, pleading with him, "Just… kiss me, okay?"

And he does.

He grabs my body and pulls me so close to him that I think I might dissolve into him. Within seconds I'd managed to push him up against the wall. I couldn't help but think about how desperate this felt. He was desperate to convince me that I should be with him, and I was desperate to just feel normal again. When my hands work their way under his shirt, and tug at the loose fabric, he pulls back and stares deep at me.

"Are you sure?" He asks, but I've never felt so sure about anything as I did right now. I groan at him and his polite ways and tug at the fabric again. He takes it off and for a few seconds I'm huffing against his bare chest in an attempt to catch my breath. I felt his hands on my hips, but they were everywhere at once. Unbelievable warmth spread throughout my body, unlike anything I'd ever felt, it was like there was a chain hooked between our hearts. As if as soon as I pulled away from him my heart would be pulled right out of my chest.

~~~~~~~!~~~~~!~~~~~~!~~~~~~~!~~~~~~!

When I woke up the next day, I managed to go a full minute without remembering the night before. But when I turned over, Paul was asleep. I tried to get up but his heavy arm was laid over me. Cursing, I take a deep breath and take a minute to stare at his face. Slowly, his eyes crack open and he groans.

"I-" he begins but I cut him off before he can speak a word.

"Please," I plead with him, my hand coming up to brush along his forehead, "Don't leave me." I rest my head against his and wait for him to insist he has to go. But he doesn't. Instead, his arm tightens around me, and he pulls me as close to him as I can possible get.

"I'll think about it."