To Hate Adam Connor

by Ella Maise

“I’m a pretty straightforward guy, Lucy. I don’t play games. Not that I can’t or don’t enjoy certain ones, but this kind of game”—I gestured between us—“I don’t want to play. We have one shot at this life, so I’m not gonna spend my time playing games with anybody. I’m not about that. What you see is what you get with me, and the more I look at you, the more I’m around you, the more I like what I see. It’s not just your face, your smile, or your beautiful eyes that tell me all kinds of stories every time I look into them long enough. I like how you are with my son, how you actually enjoy spending time with him, how you enjoy the banter between us. I like how you are trying your hardest to protect your heart from me at the same time you’re trying not to show how hard it is to do so. I’m telling you that I’m going to give you what you want from me, what you wanted from me from that first day you watched me over that damn wall. I’m going to sleep with you, Lucy Meyer, and I’m going to kiss you, my unexpected stalker. I’m going to kiss you without having to trick you,” I announced. Her confused eyes slid back to me. “I’m only telling you because I know you need to prepare yourself for it.”