Pain, she felt actual pain as she stumbled away from the house. Her feet worked mechanically, but she had no idea where she was going. Despite that pain, the heartache, she wasn’t dying, she wasn’t crumbling to nothing. She could survive this; she swore to herself, she could. She wouldn’t think about who that woman was, or why she and Evan were showering, all she was thinking was how glad she was that she hadn’t unloaded her heart on him. She could keep her emotions and her feelings to herself and carry on working without him knowing that he’d affected her. No she had a lot to be grateful for. Now all she needed was a bus to get her as far away from here as she could.

She’d managed to get to a few streets away when she sensed a car slowing. Refusing to look she kept pacing, then she heard the door slam and footsteps racing up the pavement towards her. Without him around she could control her emotions but as he reached for her wrist, pulled her around with a protest, she felt every defence she had crumble away and the tears she’d been fighting started to pour down her cheeks.

"Maddie,” he cupped her cheek, forced her to look up at him, and her tears nearly broke him, “it’s not what you think. Please!" As her eyes finally lifted to his he gasped, the fear and despair he saw terrified him. "I’m sorry! She’s my sister, honestly. We’ve been for a run; I needed a shower.....Oh Maddie!"

She shrugged his hands from her, "It’s ok...I’ve got to go..."

"Wait!" He pulled her back by the hand. "Why did you come and find me? Just tell me that."
She took a deep breath and looked into his fraught face, "it doesn’t matter. It was nothing."

He wasn’t about to take that, not now, not after she’d sought him out. "Maddie please," he didn’t care that he was begging. "Come back with me, meet Adele, she’ll love you, and I think you’ll like her. She’s my sister, I promise."

Maddie was numb, could feel nothing, and was secured in her car before she was aware of anything.

The drive was both brief and silent, and back at his house he opened the car door and helped her out. Somewhere along the way he’d become concerned, really concerned. She looked so frail, so pale, so out of her depth. He’d both acknowledged and appreciated the vulnerability in her, but this was something far more.

"Adele?" he called as he opened the front door.

The blonde girl, who up close was far more beautiful and elegant up close and dressed, appeared from the kitchen, one look at Madeleine and she rushed over. "My god, are you ok?"
Madeleine nodded, "I’m fine." Her voice was a croak, but still Evan breathed a sigh of relief at her breaking her silence.

"I didn’t realise who you were earlier or I would have invited you straight in, my brother’s told me SO much about you." Adele gushed as she encouraged her to sit in the lounge.

Maddie visibly shook her head trying to clear the fog; she needed to snap out of this, "all bad no doubt - one night stands and neuroses?"

Adele laughed out loud, "Wow Evan, she is EXACTLY as feisty as you said."

It was the ice breaker that she needed, and suddenly Maddie saw how ridiculous this situation was, she looked between them then started to laugh too, "I was normal until he started playing with my head!"
Adele’s grin was infectious, “he’s been doing that to me since I was three, I’m an expert if you need any help!"

By now, Evan was looking at them both incredulously, wondering what the hell had just happened, "is anyone going to give me chance to defend myself?"

The two girls looked at him, then Adele smiled, "no, but I am going to leave you two to chat, looks like you both need it." She shook Maddie’s hand, "it was a pleasure to meet you! And hopefully I’ll be seeing you soon."

Maddie smiled, “Likewise!"

Evan saw her out, then headed back into the living room to see Madeleine sat there, looking forlorn.
"How come you smile at my sister yet frown at me?"

Maddie shrugged, "I told you yesterday, I’m not in my comfort zone, I don’t know how to deal with this. But I’m trying my best!"

He stepped up to her and laid a hand on her arm, "deal with what?"

                "With you,” the words were a mere breath.

He smiled softly at her, "why did you come here? Please."

Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him, "I was born in Yorkshire, I have a sister called Libby. I love dogs, but haven’t seen mine or any of my family for several years. I love the colour blue, Mexican food, and rather red wine to white. I have two friends who I share a house with called Steve and Cindy. But other than that I’m alone in the world, for the last four years I’ve avoided any commitment and lived each day with no consequence, it’s my ambition to be a success, in something, anything, and changing jobs has been the start of that. I’m trying, I really am, but I’m scared, scared of getting involved with you, scared of hurting, and scared of getting close to someone again, but I suppose I have to take a risk. I do like you...I’m just..."

"I’m scared too Maddie,” he cut her off with a finger over her lips. “I really like you and I want to see more of you, but I don’t want to be hurt, don’t want to care about you and then be left high and dry...but I’d rather know you, be close to you and risk that, than to walk away from you and never know how it would be..."

She nodded, "I feel like that too...." she tried to smile.

Evan sighed, running his fingers over her cheek to cup her jaw, "we don’t have to rush, we can just see where things go?"

It took every ounce of Maddie’s strength to speak, "that sounds good."

"So....why don’t we start with a coffee? Watch some TV?"

The coffee took a while, so she stood next to him, their hands entwined, just talking.
                "So what do you have planned for the rest of the weekend?" he asked, his fingers stroking hers far too erotically. She couldn’t really concentrate for the sensations he was creating in her, not just her hand, but her arm, shoulder...scratch that, all her body. SO he had to ask her again.

"I don’t do much at weekends, for the last few years I worked till the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings, so I used to sleep the rest of the weekend. In that time everyone’s lives have moved on, they’re all in routines that don’t include me, so I have kind of been chilling out these last few weeks, just relaxing. So no plans at all. You?"

He shook his head, "I was planning to drown my sorrows and watch a few DVD’s! How about I get us some food later, open a bottle of wine?"

She nodded, it was what she wanted more than anything, suddenly she had purpose, reason, “it sounds awesome!"

"I fancy pizza, sound good?"

An hour later with flour smudged on her nose, she sat opposite him at a glass dining table, ice cold Chablis in a large glass, and a slice of the most delicious homemade mozzarella, olive and prosciutto pizza.

"I should’ve known that pizza with you wouldn’t be in a take away box!" She smiled as she finished chewing a mouthful of it.

He sat back and drank his wine, "how much nicer is this? I love proper Italian thin and crispy pizza."

"That was not a complaint!"

After eating they headed back into the lounge and sat on the large soft leather sofa, flicking through the channels on the large wall mounted TV, he settled on a movie neither of them had seen. Lounging back against one of the sofa arms, he lifted his arm, draped it along the back.

"Come here."

There was only the slightest moment of hesitation, he looked so inviting, so she leaned into him, resting against his body, his arm wrapping around her. She sighed, this was the most secure and happy she’d felt in so long.

"So," he began as the film finished. "Are you tired?" When she nodded, he added, "why don’t you take the spare room? Tomorrow, I’ll take you out for breakfast, no cooking, I promise!"

She was genuinely stunned that he wasn’t pressuring her for anything more, that he was happy to give her a spare room. Other men she’d ‘dated’ had had one track minds. Regardless of any concerns, she followed him upstairs. At the door to her room she stopped, and turned to him, "thanks for this." It was an inadequate comment to show her appreciation for what he was, and that was unlimited in his generosity.

He leaned down and pecked a kiss on her lips, "it has been such a nice evening. My pleasure."

They both stared at each other for an age; there was a definite awkward pause. Then he added, “right, well good night!"

And he was gone in seconds.

The en suite bathroom had a full set of brand new toiletries including a toothbrush, so she freshened herself up. Climbing into bed wearing just her t-shirt, she lay under the duvet. But she couldn’t take her mind off Evan, in his bed across the hall. He’d been so perfect, so caring, so amazing. And she’d been so comfortable with him, but now she felt cold, and lonely. He was right to put distance between them, rushing headlong into a relationship with him could be exactly the wrong thing to do. They needed time to make sure they knew what they were doing, she couldn’t let sex cloud what was happening here, as she usually did.

But it wasn’t sexual contact she was craving; it was him, his companionship, his arms around her, and him caring for her.

Taking a deep breath, she got out of bed and headed out to the hallway, she paused there. She knew which door was his; she remembered that much from her quick escape previously. But she was still questioning her actions. She thought of the cold bed she’d left, and knew she wanted to share his warmth, so she plucked up all her courage she pushed the door open and stepped in to his domain.

The bed was empty, heart racing Maddie started to step backwards, retreating from the room, this was an omen, the sign that she was looking for to run back to her bedroom. As she was about to turn away, the adjoining bathroom door opened and Evan stood there in just his jeans, open at the waist. He instantly saw she was about to run away.

"Don’t go Maddie," he croaked as he walked toward her, "not after making it this far."