PART 3: LIVE & LOVE

"You saw, didn't you?" he questioned, knowing that a connection could be the only thing powerful enough to render her speechless for such a long period of time. He knew she had never had one before because he had a hard time letting anyone, even her, walk around in his head. He had a sneaky suspicion that it had finally worked, and he was glad.

He had also had a flash. Maria was more open to giving out flashes. Usually, they were a series of memories strung together like a slideshow. They were always either about Maria as a child or with him somehow involved. This one, however, was different.

The flash featured Maria encircled in a bright light. She had been humming a tune that he didn't know the words to, but had frequently been the background music in his dreams lately. His flashes had never come with sound before.

"Yeah," she finally squeaked. "That was amazing. It was as if I was watching a movie, but the special effects portion was that I could feel your emotions. You finally let me in completely."

Michael's cheeks reddened, wondering just how much she had seen.

"Those flashes must have been dying to come out because those bad boys kept coming, one after another."

"I guess you wouldn't really know just how much time I spend with you on my mind. It helps to distract me from my otherworldly problem. I think about the next time you'd be in my arms, and the next time we'd kiss. You also wouldn't know that I like it when the scent of cedar oil lingers in my clothes after you've been near because it's as if part of you stays with me."

That was enough for Maria. She could no longer hold back her tears. She wrapped her arms around his neck, needing to be enveloped by him.

He pulled away from her, just enough to look at her face. Lightly, he wiped her tears away, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. He could tell that the tears weren't only a result of their current heart-to-heart discussion. He wasn't going to push, though. He'd let her tell him what was troubling her when she felt the time was right. He would be there for her until she was ready to spill. That he was sure of.

He pulled her back in, feeling that she needed it as much as he did. His fingers lingered in her hair, twirling a strand around one finger. He would have been happy staying like this for hours, if only it would have been minus the crying.

Maria finally spoke up. "I was doing some, um, thinking before I got here."

Michael looked worried. He was afraid that he had scared her off by saying all those things that he had. Maybe she was going to tell him that it was all a mistake. That it was stupid to believe a relationship between them would work considering their differences.

"I've never met anyone so much like myself than you," she continued.

Michael let out a relieved breath. Maybe he wasn't so different after all.

She took his hand. "We've both been hurt so badly in the past. I may have been more subtle about my hurting, but it was there nonetheless," she said. She had been alluding to her absentee father and his lack of a real home. "We're two tortured souls--"

"Destined to make the pain disappear for the other," he finished for her in a low voice. "That hurting feeling hasn't shown its face in awhile."

"You taught me how to really live. You know that, don't you? I was going through life content with being Liz's klutzy, ditzy best friend. The biggest excitement in my life used to be when a new movie was being shown in the theater. Then you wormed your way into my life, and nothing was ever the same. I didn't want it to go back to normal. You made my heart beat faster just by walking into the room. When you touched me, my body would tingle all the way to my toes. I once told Liz that the word 'explosive' best described our kisses. You ruined me for all other guys, Guerin."

"Good. But I can't help noticing your use of the past tense," Michael said inquisitively.

"Was I? You know me, I've never been Miss Grammar."

Continued next page...

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