Chapter 9

Mark

While on the drive back to Maria's apartment, getting her to hold a conversation with him had been difficult. He knows why. He saw her stiffen when he said that he could fall for her. And he was telling the truth, but something about that had caused her to withdraw from him. Completely. Stone cold. Absent from the present.

He knows that maybe it was too soon to admit something like that. He probably should have kept it to himself, but he doesn't want to start a relationship with anyone, especially Maria, by holding back the truth. He's never been about the lies and omissions anyway. He wasn't going to start with her.

However, a declaration of that magnitude caused her to stare out the window the entire way back. He wants to ask her, to talk to her about it, but he doesn't want to push her. Whatever she's working through, his interfering won't help.

He pulls up to her apartment and parks the car. Scrubbing the back of his head, he turns to her. He can't hold back any longer though, because the look on her face, the blank stare, is killing him.

"Look," he begins. "I can tell you're thinking and you're thinking hard. I don't know anything about your past besides what you've told me, but what I said to you back there has you all worked up and shut off." She finally looks at him so he plunges in. "I don't want to lie to you. I meant what I said, even though we barely know each other. So, you have a decision to make. Either you're all in and you want to explore this, whatever this is, or we end this now before it gets too messy. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt."

He watches her throat bob as she swallows. "I just don't know."

It kills him that she won't explain further, but he says, "Call me when you know."

Nodding, she grabs the door handle and exits the car without another word.

"And Maria?" he adds, leaning to call her name. She bends down to look at him. "Take all the time you need to work through whatever is going on in your head. I'm not going anywhere."

She nods again and shuts the door. He waits until she's inside her apartment before he drives off down the road, dread churning his stomach.