She wanted to reply. She wanted to flip onto her back. Grab him by the head and pull his lips to hers. But she remained still, reminding herself to breathe normally. She heard Dallas stepping away. Loco slowly moved off the couch and followed after him. And then Clarissa was finally alone. The storm outside continued on, but it seemed extremely weak compared to the storm brewing within herself.

Clarissa stayed on the couch; alone, for what felt like an hour. She wanted to get some sleep. But she also wanted something else. She wanted to be next to him. The man who came into her life. The man who...