Shay H-K Zayit

Her eyes bore into mine, searching me. "What is that supposed to mean?”

“People hold back when they’re afraid of the consequences—afraid of a reaction, or rejection. I’m not. Rejection doesn’t scare me. Regret does. Why should I regret not saying how I feel, when there’s nothing to lose?”

“It does make a difference,” I say, feeling her gaze settle on me, anxiety prickling beneath my skin. “Tell me to stop, and I will.”

Her eyes widen slightly, surprised at my words, or maybe surprised at how bluntly I said them. She hesitates, then steps closer, stopping right between my knees. “Stop.”

“Okay.”

She studies me, as if waiting for me to laugh or pull away, but I just look back at her. My hand finds hers, our fingers interlacing. “Why?” she asks, voice barely above a whisper.

I shrug, glancing down at our joined hands. “Maybe I’ve found something else I’d rather do…”

She hums, skeptical, leaning in until her forehead rests against mine, her eyes dropping to my lips. “Something better than beating people up?”

“How very kind of you,” I mumble, rolling Eve over until she’s on her back, looking up at me with a raised eyebrow. I trace my fingers up her arms and down her sides, unable to keep the affection out of my voice. “You make me want things I never knew I wanted before.”

“Like what?”

“You make me want to have you to myself,” I admit, my heart thudding faster.

“Are you happy?” I ask quietly.

She doesn’t answer right away. Instead, she reaches out, her hand cupping my face, thumb brushing my cheekbone as she searches my eyes. A million thoughts seem to flicker behind hers. Then she leans in, her lips brushing mine in a fleeting, tender kiss before she pulls away.

“You make me happy, Yael,” she whispers against my lips.

The words hit me harder than I expect. I let out a shuddering breath, closing the distance between us. Our lips meet in a gentle kiss, neither of us wanting to break away. Her words echo in my mind, over and over, until they’re the only thing left.

After all, why would I want my affairs to cross paths?” she asks, tilting her head, her tone playful.

As far as I know, and our watching goes, Eve doesn't have any affairs. Still, her teasing strikes a chord in me. “Is that right?”

“I’m not the one who works at a gym, surrounded by swarms of women desperate for attention,” she says, leaning in, her lips barely grazing mine. “Am I supposed to believe I’m the only one you take home after a shift?”

“So that’s what this is about?” I ask, bracing my hands on the wall beside her, caging her in. “You’re the jealous one. You want me to know what it feels like? You want to see me worked up over the thought of someone else touching you, kissing you like I do. Is that what you want? Because if it is, it’s working.”

Her words get caught in her throat as a soft blush spreads across her face. "That's not..."

"You’re the only one I want, Eve. You can have me to yourself. All of me.”

My gaze finds Eve, blurry through the haze of pain and blood loss. I fight to keep my eyes open, to hold onto this moment. “Eve… I didn’t—I didn’t come to kill you. I fell for you like a fool the moment I saw you. I’m in love with you. Every atom, every cell, every fiber of me is in love with you.” Through the fog, I see her crying—tears streaming down her face as she looks at me, shattered. “I wanted to tell you,” I whisper, my voice barely holding together. “Please… believe me.”

I love you, Eve,” I say, my voice wavering. The confession feels raw, almost desperate. “And I’ll wait for you as long as it takes, even if it means waiting forever.”