Pushing the Limits(60)

"Wanna stay up with me for a while?"

I can barely keep my eyes open, but I say yes anyway. I grab my comforter and pillow and sit on the chair across from her.

"Can I ask you something?" She looks at me.

"Sure."

"Have you ever been in love?"

I swallow. I hadn't expected that kind of question. "I'm not really  sure. Sometimes when I think back, it feels like it was going in that  direction. As quick as it happened was as quick as it was ripped away.  I'm almost positive, had it worked out, I would easily have fallen in  love with him." The corner of her lip curls up in a genuine smile. "What  about you?"         

     



 

"Yeah, I was in that really, really deep can't-stop-thinking-about-you  kind of love. It was intense. My body lit up any time we were together  and once it was over, I felt lost."

"I know that feeling," I say.

"It's the absolute worst." I nod. "But if I had to go through it all over again, I would just to feel that again."

"Yeah, me too," I agree. "I want to believe that everything happens for a reason, but some days are harder than others."

"Destiny has an evil way of teaching us the life lessons we're meant to experience."

"So you want to tell me about him?" I prompt.

She smiles and lays her head against the pillow. "Maybe at breakfast."

"Deal." I smile in return, rest my head, and close my eyes until I'm  drifting off to sleep. The memory of him and his touch is so fresh in my  mind. Sometimes I dream about him and wake up feeling him next to me.  Then I peel my eyes open and realize he isn't.

Those are the worst kind of mornings.





I wake up Sunday morning feeling refreshed from having yesterday off.  Finals ended Friday, but after drinking all night, I needed that extra  day to recover.

However, this is the official first week of summer, and I'm going to slap a positive attitude on and smile happily.

After slipping in the shower, burning my breakfast and nearly my  apartment down, and my car running out of gas on the way to work, I'm  ready to crawl back into bed and scream.

Why can't fresh starts ever just be on my damn side for once?

I finally make it to work, frustration and annoyance radiating off of me  as I walk inside. I called to let Ms. Jones know that I was running  late. She surprisingly understood and even complimented me on how nice I  looked when I finally arrived.

After assuring her I was fine to come in, she told me I was needed in the back filing paperwork.

Every possible thing that could go wrong today has gone wrong and it's only ten a.m., and now I'm being sent to the back?

Someone up above is getting a real kick out of torturing me today.

After four hours, I feel like my body is slowly dying from boredom. I  decide to take a break and head to the employee lounge to grab a snack.

Ms. Jones paces around the hallway three times before I finally get  suspicious enough to stand up and find out what's wrong with her.

"All right, spill it."

"Huh, what?" She spins around, biting her nails. "Oh, nothing dear. Just  a lot on my mind. I'm supposed to do inventory tonight, but I promised  Natalia I'd go to her play."

"Oh." My face softens.

"But maybe I can come in late and do them after … " she starts thinking  aloud to herself. "No, then security will be gone by then. Shit."

I see the stress wrinkles around her eyes as she tries to think of a  plan. I feel bad knowing how busy and stressed she can get, so I offer  to help.

"I'd be happy to do it for you. I mean, I have nothing planned anyway."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I mean, I'd hate for you to miss her play." Morgan has mentioned  how close Natalia and her have gotten since she moved in with him.

"Darling, you're a gem! Thank you!" She wraps me in a tight hug, and I'm  taken back by how grateful she's being. "Shane will still be here, so  you don't have to worry about being alone.

"All right."

"Just come after the gallery closes. Everything's in the office, and help yourself to any snacks you may find in there."

A nervous laugh passes her lips.

"Well, okay then. Guess I'll be back tonight then."

"Sounds good."

She starts walking down the hallway before she stops and turns back  around. "Oh and wear something nice. Kay, bye." She sprints off before I  can ask what she means.





I've never been to the gallery after hours before, but I rejoice in the  fact that I'll be alone for a while. I might even walk around and blast  some music. Hell, I might even dance around in my underwear.

I use the key Ms. Jones gave me and enter in through the back. All the  major lights are off except a few security lights that stay on all night  long. It's eerily silent, but it feels safe. Being here instantly  brightens my mood.

I have to walk through a few of the exhibits to get to the staircase and  up to Ms. Jones' office. The closer I get to it, the more I hear faint  music playing from somewhere. I stop and strain to hear where it's  coming from.

Perhaps someone left it on in their office?

I walk forward and notice from a distance that the spotlights are still  on. I know we turn them off at night, so I round the corner to go turn  them off. The music gets louder and soon I figure out where it's all  coming from.         

     



 

"Oh my God!" I shriek, nearly jumping out of my own skin. "You scared the hell out of me. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for you." His warm smile and bright eyes captivate me. I can't believe he's here.

"Morgan … " I whisper, unable to believe it for myself although he's  standing right in front of me. Taking a step toward him, I see what the  lights are shining on. "Holy … " It's a large abstract painting behind  him. He steps to the side so I can see it fully. It's stunning, unlike  anything I've ever seen.

Underneath the painting is a plaque with the words A Thousand Years written on it.

I blink. "Is that me?"

My feet are frozen to the floor, but he walks toward me until we're face  to face. "Yes." I feel his hot breath against the flush of my skin.

"Why? Why are you here?" I'm too stunned to ask him anything else.

"I told you. I'm here for you."

"You painted that?"

"Yes."

I blink, looking into his eyes. "But you haven't painted in almost a year."

He grabs my hand and rests it on his chest. "I was finally inspired."

Tears start blurring my vision, and I resist the urge to wipe them away. "I don't understand."

"You're the teals and yellows of my life, Aspen. Happiness and laughter.  I've had a lot of tough lessons in my life, but one thing for sure. I'm  not letting that go."

"But I broke your heart … " I begin to say, hot tears falling down my cheeks. "I lied to you."

His jaw tenses as he wraps his other hand around my hip and pushes us  closer together. "I know about Claire. I know she blackmailed you and  that you had no choice. I know that you only said those things because  she made you."

My eyes widen in surprise, feeling terrified that she's for sure going  to go to the board. "I couldn't let you lose your job over me," I start  to explain, but my throat closes up.

"Aspen, stop." He wipes the tears under my eyes. "I've been falling for  you since the moment I first laid eyes on you. When I first saw your  paintings, I knew I needed to know who that girl was." He brushes his  finger across my cheek, and I shiver. "But more importantly, I knew you  were going to change my life."

I close my eyes and smile, pulling in a deep breath as he continues.

"I should've fought for you. I should've known better, but I let my own  insecurities make me think less of you. I thought by letting you go that  easily, I'd be sparing my own feelings. But it didn't. It only made me  realize what an ass I was because I should've been more confident in our  relationship. I knew you better than that and for that, I'm sorry. God,  Aspen. I'm so damn sorry."

My breath hitches at his words. He sounds so vulnerable, but his words are genuine and strong.

"I'll fight. I'll fight for you. For us. And this time, I won't let you  walk away from me. When I saw you at the hospital, I shouldn't have let  you walk away. You deserved for me to fight harder even if you were the  one ripping my heart out."

The corners of his lips tilt up in a sly grin.

"I've waited for someone like you to come into my life, and I'm not just  going to let you get away. I admit I was scared. But with you, all that  doubt and uncertainty vanishes. Every day without you has felt empty  and pointless."

And just like that, the world around us fades away, because here at this moment, it's only him and me. No one else matters.

"How can I love when I'm afraid to fall … " I repeat the words of the song  that he titled the piece from as the tears continue falling down my  cheeks. I know my eyes are bloodshot and my makeup is smeared, but I  don't care.