Nineteen.

Wow. Okay, seriously guys, your comments were completely awesome. I read over them, and got all excited that the update was actually that good and went back to read over it again, but it seemed pretty normal to me. lol Seriously though, your comments made me tear up a little.. a definite feat. You guys spoil me, but I love it. :-) Also, I'm not having the best of luck with relationships right now.. just got cheated on the other night, so if things seem a little off with my writing, or the slightest bit bitter when they shouldn't be, please excuse that. haha

Max's POV

Where my body was once completely numb, it's now warm and on fire from where her body touches mine. I hold her closely to me for what feels like forever, but then I realize we are still outside. I gently move her back inside the house as she rests her head in the nook of my neck, and when I finally get the door shut behind us, it's then that I hear her sniffle for the first time. I pull her head away from mine, only to see a few tears silently sliding down her face; but she's smiling. I cock my head to the side, and she just shrugs her shoulders, causing me to chuckle lightly at her. My laughter is short lived though, as I feel her press her lips lightly to the underside of my jaw and her hands grabbing onto my shirt, tugging at it and bringing her body closer to mine, if that was at all possible.


I know that we need to talk, but the further she tugs me into the cottage, pulling me in the direction of a door that I can only assume leads to a bedroom, that thought is turning into more of incessant buzz that won't go away than idea or action I want to take place now. After all, it has been nearly 5 months now. 5 months without sex. No matter how noble I want to be, I'm still human. Or man, however you want to look at it, so I allow her to lead me towards the plush looking bed.

Rylie's POV

For a split second, I thought I was hallucinating when I opened the door to find him standing there. In fact, I'm still not sure if I'm seeing things, or actually feeling things I suppose, as I lay down on the bed, pulling him down on top of me. My body has been doing strange things lately, I wouldn't put this past it; from craving the most random foods, to my emotions being all over the place, to having to urgently go pee in what seems like no time flat, when I was perfectly fine seconds before. All of those things are the down side to what my body is going though now, but I've already decided that if he isn't really here, and my mind is playing a trick on me as he pushes me down into the mattress, well.. this I don't mind.


Besides, real Max would be pissed, not showering me with a rain of kisses. Right? As if he can feel my uneasiness, he stops and pulls away from the the slightest bit, just enough so that he can look at me. It's then that it dawns on me that this is real Max.. because imaginary Max wouldn't be stopping, but ripping at my clothing instead, proving to me how much he's missed me, and yet here he is, starring down at me. I can only imagine I appear crazy, and at this point, I'm not so convinced that I am sane.


I should be furious. Him being here is a major indication that someone, hmm.. Jodi, gave away my secret location. Him not freaking out about the little predicament that is currently residing in my midsection also tells me that he knows, and he knows it's his. I should be beyond pissed at Jodi for telling him after I had specifically told her he would never find out, but with the way he's looking down at me, like everything is fine, I simply want it to be.


He takes the pad of his thumb and wipes away my tears, but it only causes more to fall, and at a much faster rate. He pushes my hair out of my face, and then places a simple kiss on my forehead, and I'm automatically putty in his hands. I sit back and watch as he unties my robe, letting it fall open before he cracks a smile at my flannel pajamas and then proceeds to remove them as well. I'm trying to wait as patiently as I can, and when he finally has removed all of my clothing but my bra and panties, I think surely he will end this game sometime soon.


I never could have been more wrong.


He explores every inch of skin barred to him, not missing any surface area, but never once touching or moving to where I want him to be. I wiggle my hips a little, as if to remind him of his duties, but only that drags a small chuckle from his mouth.

"Always so impatient," he murmurs into my neck. He can only let out a small laugh again as I start to tug his clothes off.

Max's POV

I lay with my head on her shoulder, desperately trying to catch my breath as she gently runs her fingers through my hair. I don't believe it, after all of that, she's fine, and I'm about to die. She's pregnant, how the hell is she in better shape than me? I pull my head away from her shoulder, my mouth opening to say something, anything, but she stops me.

"Don't," she warns through a quivering voice as she presses her fingers to my mouth, keeping me from saying anything. "Just don't," she reiterates in a stronger tone. I give her a questioning look so she continues. "Have you ever just sat back and watched people sometimes?" I shake my head no, not knowing what she's talking about, prompting her to speak up again. "It's so fascinating the way people treat each other sometimes. If you like someone, no one shows it in fear of not being liked in return. If you hate someone, you spend 99% percent of your time being nice to them, trying to convince them that you actually do like them, when it's all a lie." I smile up at her, knowing that this is what she does; she rambles when she's nervous. "And when you love someone," she breaks off, tears once again falling from her eyes. She glances up at me, looking straight into my eyes before she diverts them once again. "It's suppose to be easy," she says in a barely audible voice. "

"Nothing good is ever easy," I reply, leaning down to kiss her until I feel her shoulders relax again. "Especially not love," I continue. She nods her head in reply, letting me know that for now, things are good. "That's all just fairy tale shit," I say with a laugh. She smiles up at me before nodding her head once again.

"Fairy tale shit," she whispers before pulling my lips down to hers once again.