The Spider & the Storm

by Kelsey Kingsley

hurt me to know that I—a man she hardly knew—could inspire such emotion. That she’d been denied something as simple as a good night for so long that this—a night of mixed signals and a push and pull I couldn’t help—was enough for her to feel grateful when, from where I stood, she deserved perfection.

past might haunt my nightmares, but with you, I actually sleep, and that has to count for something. So, I want to meet your family, and I want to see where you grew up. I want what's important to you to be important to me, and for that, I can force the ghosts to leave me alone. At least for a while.”

“Let it go, Charlie,” she whispered, touching her forehead to mine. “And until you do, I'll love you enough for both of us.”