31They had more than just friendship between them. She was the strong one before, but now the tables have turned. He's still in love with her, but is she strong enough to take another chance? Sequel to OWaCD.
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Danielle sighed and let her head fall over the back of her couch. Lee had fallen asleep some time during the movie— which she had completely slept through. They were seated on her plush couch, snuggled up together. She didn't know how they had ended up that way, but she had quickly gotten herself out of his arms.
It was nice to be there, with him, but something was screaming "DANGER, DANGER," in her mind. She knew it was stupid, to be so afraid to be with him after all this time, but Danielle was. Danielle was terrified of being in any sort of romantic relationship with anyone, most of all Lee. He had been her best love. He had been perfect for her— faults and all— and now that he and she were grown adults, with their own lives and homes, it scared her. Danielle was scared because getting in any sort of relationship at this point in her life was scary. A lot of her friends were settling down— even DESTINY was settling down! Danielle wasn't ready to settle down. She wasn't even ready to visit her mother's grave alone yet and it had been MONTHS.
The thought made Danielle irrevocably sad. She looked at Lee, watching as he slept peacefully. She wanted so bad to pressed into him again. She denied herself the pleasure, not wanting to want (need) to fall into some sort of routine. Again.
With a frown that felt like it was permanently plastered to her face, Danielle got up and entered her bedroom. She stripped and threw on an over-sized t-shirt she wore to bed. Lee stirred in the living room, and she assumed he'd probably wake up when he found himself alone. Danielle didn't bother to move when she sat on her bed. In one hand she held her cell phone, and in the other one the charger for her battery. The sadness with overwhelming again, and suddenly it felt like the air had been knocked out of her. Pain in her chest throbbed and she couldn't breathe.
"It's okay," Lee whispered, seating himself next to her. His hands came around Danielle's shoulders until he was holding her in his arms. Danielle breathed shakily, her hands trembling. Lee hummed some melody Danielle didn't recognize as he rocked them back and forth.
As she sat in his arms, listening to him humming, and suddenly she was breathing normally. Life didn't seem so sad after a moment, and Danielle gritted her teeth. She had to admit it, even if she didn't want to, that Lee was what she needed on nights like this. Without him, Danielle was certain she'd be throwing up in her toilet or sitting in the darkness of her closet.
"I don't want to be sad anymore," Danielle whispered, bringing her arms up and clutching Lee's shirt. He held her closer to him, shifting them so that they sat in the middle of her bed.
"What happened with Arsenio?" Lee asked, "I know you're sad, and you're hurting from your mother's death. I know you, though. There's more to it. Why haven't you mentioned him ever? What happened?"
Danielle's heart kicked her, making everything in her chest hurt. Arsenio, her best friend. Once, a long time ago.
"We're no longer friends," she spat out, her hold on Lee tightening. "We're no longer friends, after everything we went through. He just decided one day that we couldn't be friends. Not with everything."
"Everything?"
"He was in love with me, and I told him not to love me. I told him that I had too much to deal with, and that I was high maintenance. He.." Danielle paused, memories from college resurfacing, "He tried to convince me. On our trip to Greece he'd all but seduced me."
There was a long pause that stretched to eternity, but Lee waited. Danielle's throat felt like it was closing up. She felt used, dirty, and forgotten in the memories of that summer in Greece.
"When we got back, he dropped me off at home and told me he'd call," Danielle sighed. "He never did. All I got was a letter in the mail saying that he didn't want to see me anymore— as friends or anything else."
"Did he say why?" Lee probed, knowing that he was being nosy but not caring.
"No," Danielle breathed, burying her face into Lee's chest. "He was the only guy I slept with after you. I.. I felt so used after that. I felt dirty. My own best friend didn't want me anymore, why would anyone else? I just-"
One moment Danielle was rambling, and the next moment she was smothered under Lee. His lips crashed down onto hers and his hands held her face gently. Too shocked to do much at first, Danielle stared wide-eyed as she watched Lee kiss her. His eyes were closed and it looked like it pained him. Not wanting to see his pain, Danielle closed her eyes and kissed him back, her arms lifting to clutch his shoulders. Their lips moved over each other's, sometimes straying but always returning. Their tongues dueled, played and caressed.
Lee smiled into the kiss, stopping to laugh.
"Why are you laughing?" Danielle hissed, glaring at him. "I haven't forgotten how to kiss, have I?"
"NO! No, no," Lee laughed, kissing her face with feather-like touches, "No, absolutely not. No!"
"Then what?"
"Are you happy?"
"Well, yeah, if we'd get back to -"
"You're happy," Lee said, looking her straight in the eyes. "You're happy, and so am I."
You're welcome.