Shane’s voice floated from behind me, “Do you think she’ll be alright?”

Aerin’s response was indistinct, as she’d wrapped me in a tight embrace, which caused my ears to be covered up.

I heard Shane’s Jeep turn around and rumble out of the parking building. My tears slowed about ten minutes later, and then Aerin guided me to the passenger side of the car, opened it for me, and helped me settle into the car.  Before she shut the door, she bent closer to give me a soft kiss. “It nearly killed me to do that to you, baby. I’m really, really sorry about how this whole thing must have hurt you,” she whispered against my lips.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” she said repeatedly, kissing my lips softly again and again.

I lifted my hands and clasped them around her head, massaging her nape. Her hands tunneled through my hair, tangling her fingers in my strands of hair leisurely even as she massaged my scalp gently.

I don’t know how long we kept kissing, but we remained lost in the kiss until we heard a chorus of ambulance and police sirens wail past. That seemed enough to cause Aerin to slowly draw her head back. I tried to keep her head in place but she gently peeled my fingers away from her neck. I moaned, “Noooo … please, Aerin.”

She gave me a series of butterfly soft kisses, whispering, “Let me take you home, my love. And then I can tell you what’s been going on, ok?”

She kissed each eye, and wiped my tears away with her thumbs. Her hands were trembling.

She shut my door and walked quickly to the driver’s side door. As she buckled up, I gazed at her fondly. “Your love?” I asked her softly with a tremulous smile.

She pulled one of my hands up to her pouty lips. As she kissed my fingers she answered quietly, “Yes, I did say “my love.” Too soon?”

I teared-up. “No … no, not too soon, baby,” I assured her with a trembling smile.

Now that she was beside me, and her true feelings known to me, I couldn’t stop looking at her. I continued to watch her as she backed up, and then drove us out of the parking building. I could see that her whole demeanor had changed from the cool and distant one from this morning and earlier this evening. I noted with relief that the openness, shared trust, and most especially, crackling electricity between us, had returned.