Off the Sidelines (QuirkyQuill and MrPositive)

[MrPositive]

Adrian leaned back on his heels, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he looked at her. Cassie's body was trembling, her chest heaving with the aftershocks of what he'd just pulled from her. Her skin was flushed, glowing in the soft light of the room, and Adrian couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at the sight of her completely unraveled beneath him. This was the moment he lived for—her surrender, her vulnerability, the trust she placed in him as he coaxed every ounce of pleasure from her. His hands moved to her thighs, gripping them firmly as he leaned over her. The heat between them was palpable, the air charged with an intensity that hadn't dulled for a second. Adrian's green eyes darkened as he gazed down at her, taking in the way her lips parted, the way her body seemed to hum with the remnants of her release.

He let out a low chuckle, his voice gravelly with desire. "Confession, huh?" he murmured, his lips curving into a small, mischievous grin. "You fantasized about me back then?" His tone was teasing, but there was an edge of satisfaction in his voice, knowing that even years ago, he'd had this effect on her. Adrian brushed his fingers along her hip, his touch light but deliberate, tracing lazy patterns on her sensitive skin. "You know," he said, his voice dipping lower, "if I'd known back then, I wouldn't have been able to focus on anything else. Practices, games, classes—they wouldn't have stood a chance." He leaned down, brushing a kiss just below her navel. "And now, knowing what you were thinking about…" He trailed off, his lips traveling upward along her abdomen, his stubble scratching lightly against her skin. "Let's just say I'm glad I don't have a playbook to memorize anymore."

He shifted, his body pressing against hers, his weight balanced perfectly so she could feel him without being crushed. His hands slid up her sides, his thumbs brushing the edges of her ribs. He paused, his lips hovering just over hers, his breath mingling with hers as he whispered, "You're mine now, Cassie. Every fantasy, every thought you've ever had about me—I'm going to make them real. Every. Single. One."

Adrian kissed her then, deep and unhurried, his tongue claiming hers with a possessiveness that left no room for doubt. He'd waited too long for this, and now that he had her, he wasn't going to let a single moment slip through his fingers. Adrian pulled back slightly, his chest rising and falling as he looked down at her. Cassie was a vision beneath him—her hair splayed out on the bed, her skin flushed, her body completely open and vulnerable to him. For a moment, he simply let himself take her in, his green eyes roaming over every curve, every mark, every inch of her that now belonged to him.

He sat up, moving to remove this already open shirt, his movements slow, deliberate, as if savoring the moment. The fabric slipped from his shoulders, revealing the broad expanse of his chest and the taut muscles beneath his tanned skin. Adrian tossed the shirt aside without a second thought, his eyes never leaving hers.

His hands moved to his belt next, the metallic click of the buckle echoing in the quiet room. He could feel her eyes on him, feel the heat of her gaze as it traced the path of his hands. He couldn't help the smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips as he slid the belt free and let it fall to the floor. Hooking his thumbs in the waistband of his pants, he pushed them down along with his boxers, stepping out of them in one fluid motion.

Completely bare now, Adrian stood over her, his body cast in the soft glow of the bedside lamp. He was tall, powerful, every line and angle of him carved with strength and purpose. But there was no arrogance in the way he looked at her—only hunger, deep and primal, mixed with a tenderness that softened the edges of his intensity.

"You're so damn beautiful," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. Adrian climbed onto the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight as he moved between her legs. His hands trailed along her thighs, spreading them wider as he settled himself against her. The heat of her body called to him, the slickness of her arousal igniting a fire in him that he could barely contain. Bracing himself on his forearms, Adrian leaned over her, his face close to hers, their breaths mingling in the space between them. He pressed a kiss to her lips—slow, deep, and reverent—as if he were pouring everything he felt into that single connection. Pulling back just enough to meet her gaze, he whispered, "You're mine, Cassie. Always."

With that, he shifted his hips, positioning himself at her entrance. He moved slowly, deliberately, his breath hitching as he felt her warmth begin to envelop him. Inch by inch, he claimed her, his body pressing into hers until there was nothing between them, nothing left undone. A low, guttural groan escaped his lips as he stilled for a moment, letting her adjust to the fullness of him.

"God, you feel incredible," he murmured, his voice strained, his control barely holding. He began to move then, his rhythm unhurried, each thrust measured and deliberate. Adrian wasn't just taking her—he was savoring her, worshiping her with every movement, every touch, every whispered word of adoration.​

 

[QuirkyQuill]

There was still a part of Cassie's brain that had a difficult time comprehending that she was naked on a bed in front of Adrian. She understood the sentiment now behind songs that spoke of every time feeling like the first time. Granted it hadn't been that long since their first kiss in his dining room, but Cassie had absolutely no resistance or self-control against his touches. It was as if the thread that weaved their souls together intensified every physical connection, from the comfort of her hand inside his to the sweetness of his lips brushing against her forehead to the raw passion of his tongue sliding against her most intimate areas. It was like she was experiencing pleasure in an entirely new way because it was with Adrian.

“You fantasized about me back then?”

Groaning, Cassie reached up and covered her face with her hands, suddenly feeling heat burning her cheeks. “I don't know why I told you that.” Adrian awakened an honest vulnerability that she hadn't even realized she harbored; a need to communicate the secrets she kept tucked deep inside. The soft tone of his voice and the tender kisses he waltzed up her stomach eased the embarrassment from her face, replacing it with contentment and a slow, steady arousal.

"Let's just say I'm glad I don't have a playbook to memorize anymore."

“I’m not sure I’d recommend leading your next press conference off with that,” she said, grinning as her eyes lazily found his. “The press would eat you alive if they didn’t think you knew your own playbook. You know how feisty those reporters can be.”

Her hands immediately went to his back as he blanketed her with his warmth, and she slid her fingers along the ridge of his shoulder blades. There was still so much of his body she had left to explore, but it didn’t seem to matter how much she touched him, Cassie craved more. Her foot trailed along the side of his leg, her thighs feeling the power of his weight. As he closed the distance between them, she sank further into the mattress, his tongue gliding her into a state of oblivion from which she was content to not return. Moving her legs, she wrapped them around his, her pelvis pushing against his hardness, silently inviting him in.

The warmth between her legs was beginning to reignite, and as she watched him remove his shirt, his stare so intense on her, Cassie was mesmerized by him. Every motion he made, so confident and certain, made her insides tingle as she reminded herself that he was hers. She no longer had to be cautious around him, afraid to give herself away. The professionalism they had to portray in public, for all its complication, was easier to handle because she’d played that role through the entirety of their college career. In private, though, Cassie’s eyes could wander the entirety of his body without hesitation. He was hers to touch, hers to swoon over, hers to curl up against. Being with him in bed was so much more intimate because of the friendship and bond they had always shared. Not a day went by that Cassie didn’t offer up a thought of gratitude that the man before her had reentered her life and that mature adulthood had given them the courage to have the conversation that their college selves could never have.

Her stomach tingled at the sound of his belt coming off, and her eyes drifted from his face down to the v shaped muscles that disappeared beneath his pants. She watched his fingers work the button and zipper, her hazel eyes transparent with hunger as he finally removed his last article of clothes. There was no shame in her face as she drank him in, her admiration for every part of him evident on her face.

"You're so damn beautiful,"

The words broke the silence, and Cassie’s eyes moved back to his, her face devoid of any playfulness they’d earlier shared.

“So are you,” she spoke, her voice tinged with deference as her body welcomed him back to the bed. A shiver ran through her as his fingers sparked her inner thighs, the feeling a stark contrast to the hot wetness that had pooled between her legs. Adrian made her feel insatiable.

Mine.

What was it about that word that caused her to melt beneath him? Every time he said it, a firework shot off in belly, and she had to physically bite down on a moan. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. Despite having weeks to accept that, she still found it mind boggling that he was just as turned on by her as she was him. Adrian Stafford. The man who’d turned almost every head on campus. The man whose posters undoubtedly hung in young women’s bedrooms. The man who’d complained with her over an impossibly difficult math test. The same man who had started a popcorn fight in her and Meg’s dorm room at three o’clock in the morning when they’d all ceased to think rationally. The man who had shared his deepest fears as an athlete, and listened to hers in return.

Her face burrowed into his neck as he took his rightful place between her legs, her lips parting on an inhale as he pushed inside her. Sliding her hands from his back, she wrapped them around his biceps loosely, and she nuzzled her lips against his neck, feeding off his heat. There was no resistance to him, the walls of her sex tightening around him, urging him forward. His growl nearly undid her right then and there, her hands tightening on his arms as her entire body contracted in response.

With every movement, Cassie felt herself fall deeper into the feel of him, and she quickly found her head weighed too much to hold. Falling back onto the bed the rest of the way, a soft moan escaped her lips as her face exuded the desire twisting through every nerve. She allowed her body to simply take him in for a while, the slow dance bringing them closer to one another not just on a physical level, but on some unseen sacred plane.

Turning her head to the side, she opened her eyes as she leaned in and kissed the inside of his arm resting beside her head. Working her way along a vein, she snaked her tongue out, tasting him as her body continued to move beneath him. Removing her hands from his arm, she wrapped one around his neck as she pushed herself into a sitting position, her mouth claiming his. Twisting her body, she pushed her other hand against his shoulder urging him to move over on his back. When they rolled over, her legs straddling him, she looked down at him now beneath her. Her chest was heaving as she looked at her hands tracing their way down his torso, relishing every line of muscle. Pushing forward, she began to move against him, her back straight as she dug her fingers into his sides. She kept her eyes locked on his as she moved, her back arching against the movement.

Just as he had been in no rush to take them to their final destination, Cassie was in no hurry, simply wanting to feel his hardness stretching her, their movements deep. Leaning down she ran her lips over his chest, leaving slow kisses along her path, her tongue occasionally darting out to tease the skin beneath her.

Releasing his sides, her fingers trailed up his arms until her fingers intertwined with his, and she laid their hands on either side of his head, tightening her hold on him. Now that her body hovered above his, her nipples rubbed against his chest with every deep thrust of their bodies, their sensitivity to his body adding to her arousal. Turning her head to the side, she pressed a kiss against his cheek, lingering against the scratchy stubble as she moaned. Every push and pull she made on his hardened cock drove her clit against his body, sending a beacon of need to her sex that was beginning to pool in the depths of her senses.

“My soul drips for you, Adrian,” she whispered against his cheek, her hands tightening against his as her rhythm began to steadily increase.

 

[MrPositive]

Adrian's breath hitched as he watched her move. Cassie straddling him, her body so confident and alive with purpose, sent a deep thrum of need coursing through his veins. Every inch of her seemed to pulse with power, her skin glowing with the faint sheen of sweat that only made her more intoxicating. She was breathtaking. She was everything.

"Goddamn, Cassie," he growled, his voice low and rough as his hands gripped her thighs, feeling the firm strength of her muscles as they clenched with every movement. Her slow, deliberate rhythm was both maddening and divine, her body enveloping him in a heat that robbed him of coherent thought. She had him completely undone, stripped bare in every possible way. Adrian's green eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, he was lost in the swirling emotions he saw there—desire, passion, affection, and something deeper that felt almost spiritual. He couldn't look away, even as she arched her back, her breasts rising toward him like an offering he didn't deserve. But he'd take her all the same, every part of her. She was his now, and he'd never let her go.

"Do you have any idea how fucking incredible you are?" he rasped, his voice heavy with awe as his fingers dug into her hips, urging her to move faster, harder. But Cassie wasn't rushing. No, she was taking her time, savoring every moment, every sensation, driving him insane with her deliberate pace. She was in control now, and Adrian could do nothing but follow where she led him. When her hands trailed down his chest, her touch light and teasing, his muscles tensed beneath her fingers, his body responding instinctively to her. Every nerve in him was alive, attuned to her in a way that felt almost primal. She leaned forward then, her lips brushing against his chest, her tongue darting out to taste his skin, and he let out a guttural groan, his head falling back against the pillows as pleasure surged through him.

His hands slid from her thighs to her waist, his grip firm but reverent as he held her steady, grounding himself in her even as she drove him to the edge. "Cassie," he said, her name a broken whisper on his lips, filled with equal parts reverence and desperation. He couldn't hold out much longer—not with the way her body was moving against his, every roll of her hips sending shockwaves of pleasure straight to his core. When her fingers intertwined with his, pinning their hands beside his head, it only heightened the intensity of the moment. Her warmth was everywhere, her scent, her touch, the sound of her soft gasps and moans as they moved together. Adrian felt like he was drowning in her, and he didn't want to come up for air.

His body tightened as her pace quickened, her movements growing more urgent, more insistent. The friction of her against him, the sweet torment of her nipples brushing against his chest, the slick heat of her surrounding him—it was too much. His control, already frayed, snapped completely when she whispered against his cheek, her voice husky and filled with raw need.

My soul drips for you, Adrian.

Her words hit him like a lightning strike, igniting every nerve ending in his body. He let out a deep, guttural groan, his hands tightening around hers as his hips bucked up to meet her movements. The tension coiled inside him broke free, and a powerful wave of pleasure crashed over him, consuming him completely.

"Cassie!" he cried out, his voice raw and unrestrained as his release ripped through him, leaving him trembling beneath her. Every pulse, every shudder of his body felt amplified, intensified by the way she held him, the way she moved against him, the way she made him feel like he belonged completely to her. As the waves of ecstasy finally began to ebb, Adrian's body relaxed beneath her, his breathing heavy and uneven. His hands slipped free from hers to rest on her hips, his touch gentle now, filled with a quiet reverence as he looked up at her. She was his everything, and in that moment, Adrian Stafford knew he would spend the rest of his life showing her exactly what that meant.​

 

[QuirkyQuill]

There was no sweeter victory for Cassie than bringing Adrian to a place of uninhibited pleasure. As she rocked against him, her hazel eyes watched the expressions that washed over his face. She wanted him to let go of control, to simply lose himself in their intimacy. Her movements responded to his body, his passion her only priority, and when she felt his grip on her tighten and his pace quicken, she met him stroke for stroke as she worked to drive him over that cliff.

The moment he lost all control, his hands tightening and her name filling the room, she felt her heart swell with adoration and satisfaction. She continued to milk him with her body, drawing out every shiver, her pace only slowing once his muscles began to relax and his shuddering eased. When he let go of her hands, she sank down on him further. Resting her head on his shoulder, her fingers gently brushed the other side of his neck as she planted a lingering kiss on his skin. Laying on top of him, her body rose and fell with every breath, her own breathing in sync with his. Reaching up, she turned his head towards her and kissed him deeply. There was no such thing as being too close to him, and she parted his lips with her tongue, still wanting to claim even more of him.

As her kiss deepened, her hand slid down his side, rubbing against him as she felt his cock slip from her as both their bodies succumbed to contentment. She had no intention of moving. Not yet anyway. The chill from the room danced across the damp skin on her back, making her appreciate the warmth of him still beneath her. Eventually, she pulled back from their kiss, her eyes opening halfway as she trailed his face.

“You are incredible, Stafford.” She spoke quietly, brushing her lips across his collarbone as she continued to leave a trail of kisses on the area near where she lay. Snuggling into him, she lay there quietly for a while, her eyes closed as she listened to the sounds of their breathing.

Finally, she pushed herself up just enough to look at him, her hazel eyes thoughtful as she reached up to run her fingers through his hair. He was truly the most beautiful man she had ever seen, and it wasn't just because he was universally accepted to be one of the sexiest men in the public eye. For Cassie, it was the way his emotions and passion came through the green sparkle in his eyes. It was the pure sweetness in his face when doing something thoughtful for someone he cared about. The teasing glint that ignited his mischievous nature drove her absolutely wild. The feel of his hands against her back.

“You truly are the best of men, Adrian.” Smiling at him, she kissed the tip of his chin, her fingers tangling themselves into his hair. Tilting her head, a more serious expression took up residence in her eyes. When she spoke, there was a hint of timidity in her tone, “I don't understand.”

Swallowing, Cassie felt as though she were stepping onto an icy lake, uncertain whether or not the ice would hold, or if she would find herself falling beneath the freezing surface because she'd tread too soon.

“I don't understand how any woman could have you for so long, and not treasure you as though you are the most precious gift this universe could have given her.” It was a touchy subject, Cassie knew that. They had not spoken about his marriage to Rebecca, but she found it difficult to believe that his ex-wife had not left behind a trail of damage somewhere under the surface. “You are part of the very rhythm of my heartbeat, Adrian.”

 

[MrPositive]

Adrian stared at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling in rhythm with the slowing beats of his heart, though his mind was far from calm. Cassie's body pressed against his was warm and grounding, yet her words echoed in his head with a clarity that cut through the haze of their intimacy. They had pierced a part of him he wasn't ready to acknowledge, a wound he had spent a long time covering up but had never truly healed.

Treasure.

Her use of the word left a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn't remember the last time someone had said something like that to him—meant it, truly—without conditions or ulterior motives. Adrian clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, trying to push back the flood of emotions rising in his chest. But it was no use. The ghosts of his past refused to stay buried, not with her words pulling them to the surface. Her fingers wove through his hair, her touch as soothing as it was persistent. She anchored him in the present, though his mind drifted, pulled between the warmth of her affection and the cold memory of Rebecca's betrayal. Adrian inhaled deeply, his nostrils filling with the scent of Cassie—that intoxicating mix of sweat, skin, and something uniquely hers. For a brief moment, it grounded him, tethering him to the here and now. But the weight of her statement lingered, and he couldn't let it go.

Adrian opened his eyes and turned his gaze to hers, his green eyes shadowed by vulnerability he rarely allowed anyone to see. "You want to know why she didn't treasure me?" he asked, his voice rough, the bitterness in his tone cutting through the intimate quiet of the room. He hadn't meant for it to sound so sharp, but the words came out before he could temper them. He saw the flicker of concern in Cassie's expression, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. The dam had already broken.

"Because I wasn't enough," he said, his voice low but steady, each word carrying the weight of years of self-doubt and pain. "Not for her. Maybe not for anyone." The admission was raw, unfiltered, and it hung in the air between them like a heavy cloud. He ran a hand through his damp hair and let his head fall back against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling as if it held answers he'd never found.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips, devoid of humor. "I gave her everything I had. I thought if I just worked hard enough, loved her hard enough, it would be enough to keep her. To make her happy." He paused, his throat tightening as the memories surged to the forefront of his mind. "But some people…" His voice cracked, and he swallowed hard, forcing himself to continue. "Some people don't want to be kept."

The words felt like a confession, a truth he had carried for years but never voiced aloud. Adrian's thoughts drifted back to Rebecca, to the late-night arguments that had felt like pulling teeth, to the coldness in her eyes that had replaced the warmth he'd once loved. He remembered the night he found out about the affair—the text messages he wasn't meant to see, the lies that unraveled like a thread pulled too tightly. He had replayed those moments over and over, dissecting every detail, searching for where he had gone wrong.

"I spent so long trying to fix something that was already broken," he admitted, his voice quieter now, tinged with regret. "I thought if I just held on tighter, tried harder, it would get better. But it didn't. And by the time I realized that, it was too late."

Adrian exhaled slowly, his hand lifting to rest lightly on Cassie's back. Her presence was a comfort, but the memories still stung. He hesitated, his fingers tracing absent patterns along her spine as he struggled to put his feelings into words.

"I don't know if I believe in second chances," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. The vulnerability in his tone was almost unbearable, even to his own ears. "But being with you… it's different. You're different."

The admission felt like stepping off a cliff, trusting that she would catch him. Adrian's gaze softened as he looked at her, his green eyes searching hers for understanding.

"You make me want to believe again," he continued, his voice steady but thick with emotion. "But that part of me that was broken… it's still there. And sometimes…" He paused, swallowing hard as he fought to keep his voice from cracking. "Sometimes I'm scared that no matter how much I care about you, how much I want this to work… maybe I'll still screw it up."

The words hung heavy in the air, the weight of his fears and insecurities laid bare. Adrian turned his gaze away, his jaw tightening as he wrestled with the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. But even as he voiced his doubts, a part of him wanted to hold onto the hope that Cassie represented. She was his light in the darkness, the person who made him believe that happiness might still be possible.

"You deserve more than that," he said finally, his voice soft but firm. He turned his gaze back to her, his expression earnest, almost pleading. "More than me carrying around all this baggage, all this doubt. I don't want to hurt you."

Adrian's hand moved to cup her face, his thumb brushing lightly against her cheek. For a moment, he simply looked at her, his heart aching with a mix of love and fear.

"But I can't lose you either," he admitted, his voice breaking on the last word. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Cassie. You're the first person who's made me feel whole in a long time."

The vulnerability in his voice was matched by the intensity in his gaze. Adrian knew he was taking a risk by opening up, by letting her see the cracks in his armor. But if there was one thing he had learned from his past, it was that love required vulnerability. And for Cassie, he was willing to take that chance.​

 

[QuirkyQuill]

Cassie felt the shift in Adrian's body the moment she'd spoken. A look of concern crossed her face when she felt his jaw clench, and she slid her hand down from his scalp and laid her fingers on his jawline. Running them back and forth gently, she made every attempt to help him relax. Even in college, Rebecca had been a sensitive area, and one that Cassie had always tried to evade at all costs. It was impossible back then because she was one of Adrian's best friends and one duty in the best friend handbook was to be a sounding board for relationship problems. It has been the one part of their friendship she'd loathed because what she wanted to say and what she knew she could say weren’t in alignment with one another.

Now, she remained quiet as she tried to physically soothe his discomfort, giving him the opportunity to either veer away from the subject altogether, or step into it. She listened, her face remaining neutral in the way that only someone who's professional life required, despite the way her heart shattered as he uttered those words.

“Because I wasn't enough."

Cassie knew first hand how vicious Rebecca's tongue could be when the mood struck the other woman. She wasn't just a mean girl. She was a mean girl who learned first where her opponent's weakness was, and then struck with precision to inflict the maximum amount of damage. During college, Rebecca had constantly gone after Cassie, assuming Cassie was after Adrian. What Cassie had never been able to figure out was whether Rebecca had actually seen those feelings or if she was simply being an over controlling, insecure girl and making an assumption. Had Cassie been head over heels with Adrian? Without a shadow of a doubt. But Cassie had meant what she'd said to Meg all those years ago, and recently. It never would have occurred to her that Adrian would have thought anything more of her than a friend. It hadn't stopped Rebecca's words from reaffirming those ideals, that she wasn't pretty enough for him, wasn't feminine enough for him, didn't have the body or glamour for someone of Adrian's caliber.

The fact that the other woman had turned that manipulation around on Adrian in such a catastrophic way angered her. He was the man who, even in college, truly saw people for who they were and went out of his way to show them how much they meant to him. The man who stayed up with her until the early hours of the morning when Coach had informed her the night before she'd be getting her first start on the mound the previous day, talking her down from a panic attack. How anyone could willfully make decisions that would crush him in such an intimate fashion truly made her see red. Furrowing her brows together, she continued to run her fingers over his skin.

Cassie didn't interrupt, but her eyes remained locked on his face as he continued to speak while she remained steady. When silence fell, she sat up a little further, her legs straddling his torso as she took his face in both her hands. Bending down, she kissed his forehead softly. She pulled back, but remained close to him as her gaze softened.

“Adrian,” she said his name softly, “you are right about one thing, but for the wrong reason. You were never going to be enough for her. Ever. But that's because she is only after the things in life that make her feel powerful and important. Rebecca is the kid who doesn't want the new toy, but she doesn't want you to have it. The only things she has ever valued in this life are shallow and material.

So, yes, Adrian Stafford was never going to be enough for her because you are worth so much more than she can even comprehend. You,” she emphasized the word when she said it, her hands momentarily increasing their pressure on his face, “are the type of man who puts his heart and soul into everything he does, and you value the things in this life that don't have a price tag. Rebecca will never understand people like that. She will spend her entire life looking for the next shiny diamond and never realize that she had the center of the entire universe willing to give her the world. That has nothing to do with your value as a person, and everything to do with her and her short sightedness. She has to live with that.”

Pressing her lips on the furrow of his brow, she nuzzled his cheek beside her hand with her nose before looking him back in the eyes.

“Yes, we are different. We have always been different,” she said emphatically, a smile crossing her face. “Adrian, you and I had something she never understood: genuine friendship. It sounds so trivial, but it's not. I'm a firm believer that there can't be a truly happy, successful partnership without a foundation of friendship, and you and I… that part came easily. Even back in college, it felt like my soul and your soul had always known each other, and that time and circumstance had just finally decided to throw us together.”

She spoke slowly as her thumbs stroked his cheeks, her eyes trying to see past the years of hurt in hopes of seeing some evidence that he believed her. That her words had an impact.

“The reality is that we are going to hurt each other at some point.” When she spoke, there was no judgement in her voice. “We're human, Adrian. We're going to make mistakes and yes, that means screwing up with each other. What I am completely confident about, though, is that neither you nor I would ever do anything to intentionally hurt one another. That is the material difference. You do know that, right? I would never do anything knowing it would hurt you.”

Tilting her head slightly, she left another soft kiss on him, this one on the corner of his mouth.

“You deserve to be loved and supported just for being you. You deserve to be seen, every part of you, even your scars, because they make you who you are. I need you to know that I love you, not just on the good days, but even more on the rough ones. I should have been there as a friend for all those tough moments, but I need you to believe that I am always in your corner. You are worth more than anything this world has to offer to the right people.”