“You don’t want me in your life?” he asked, watching her slip on her shoes. She stopped to button her shirt.

“No, I don’t Em,” she replied.

“I told you to call me Marshall,” he said annoyed.

“I don’t want to call you anything. Look, I said this before, one night, okay? We had that, we could have had that tonight. I don’t want any strings attached. None at all.” She replied, finishing her last button.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t already! God, don’t push it! I told you, one night, that’s it! Let it go!” she shouted going to the door and opening it. He jumped off the bed and followed her out of the door.

“So you’re just going to walk out on this, right?” he asked.

“Yes, I am. I’m going to take a taxi, go home, get a couple hours of sleep, then go back to the diner and beg for my job back.” She said calmly, picking up her purse from the floor by the elevator.

“Why do you let people treat you like shit! Yet I want to tell you you’re beautiful and you flip out!” he screamed at her.

“I’m not looking for a relationship! Okay, so you can knock off the boyfriend crap!” she screamed back. Whoa, that hit him like a ton of bricks. Was he actually coming on that strong? Was he suddenly becoming like all the other people in his life had been, throwing themselves at him, begging him to love them?

“Who did it to you?” he asked.

“Did what to me?” she asked.

“Who fucked you up so that you’re afraid of even a date?” he asked bitterly.

“It’s none of your business!” she snapped.

“No?” he asked.

“No, it’s not,” she replied, annoyed that he was being so thick.

“Then how come you haven’t pressed the button on the elevator already?” he asked. He figured out his mistake, he’d been a little too nice. That’s what pushed her away. If he acted like an ass she’d figure he was just like everyone else and would get hurt just as much with him as with anyone else. It wasn’t exactly the best thing in the world, but if he could just rope her in a little.

“I’m going to bed, I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he said turning and traipsing back to the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He crawled on to the bed and sat against the headboard, starring at the door, waiting for it to creak open. He balled his fists into lap and strained his hearing until his own breathing seemed unbearably loud. One minute passed, then two, three, he was going to collapse from counting the time.

The door creaked open and he felt as though his chest was ready to explode as he expelled a huge breath of air. She’d come back. She closed the door quietly behind her and looked up at him, starring at her with that stiff face. She walked towards the bed and stood at the foot of it, watching him.

“Just sex, okay, that’s it,” she said.

“Get over here, now,” he said motioning to the side of the bed. She complied and walked over towards him. It wasn’t long before he pulled her back onto the bed and had her under him again, his hands firmly pressing hers into the mattress.

“Tell me you want me to fuck you,” he said, starring down into her eyes, wishing he could read what was behind the green irises.

“I want you to fuck me,” she said simply, and his lips descended to hers.