I'll be there

[a_time_slip]

Soft light drifted over the bed, illuminating a man's arm that draped loosely over the single white sheet that covered the woman beside him. He propped himself up with his other arm, smiling.

The man leaned down just enough to whisper something into her ear. "You have been amazing. I think I love you."

She kept her eyes closed, pretending that she just hadn't heard that.

"You're all I think about, Janie. I don't know who hurt you in the past but I'm not him. I'll be there for you. When we started this you said it was just sex, but it feels like more than that." He took his free hand and began tracing his fingers along her curves, still looking at her with a smile. "You have a child and I want kids. I want to meet her. I want to meet everyone in your life. Don't get upset but I told my Mom about you. Ever since the other night- That's when-"

He stopped when he realized she was crying. Her eyes were fixed to the wall, tears leaving dark stains on the sheets. "Shh. Janie. I'm not like the others. I'm not going anywhere. I told you what I want, but if you want something different, it's okay. All I want is to be with you."

"Why are you doing this? Leave- wait, this is your place. I'm leaving. I can't"

"You can. We'll watch Rocky, solve formulas. I know you love those things. I love those things. Let me share those with you. Let me make you happy. Something about you makes you more amazing than all of the women I've ever met. You... you almost glow. I want to make you smile, and get rid of the people who make you cry. You are a goddess, Janie, and I want to be there, I want this to be more serious."

"Don't."

"Once you said that roses made you smile. I've got them."

"I can't do this." She'd blocked these emotions for so long, why were they coming back now? This man started as a one night stand, which led to a 'first date', which somehow became weeks of spending evenings together. He knew that they weren't exclusive, that she didn't want to get attached. Yet, there was this. Promises and declarations of love. There was his body pressing into hers, his arm holding her and little kisses behind her ear.

"You don't have to decide anything now. You've got my number- call me." She pushed away from him, sitting herself up. The clothes were in the other room.

"There's someone else. You- I thought we agreed this wasn't a relationship."

"If there really is someone else, are you happy with them? Are you being treated like the goddess-"

Before he could finish, she stood the rest of the way up and rushed out of the room. She didn't want anyone to refer to her with that word, including the love struck man who sat there cluelessly.