“Myself, dammit,” Abram replies as if that response should make sense to me.
He must have seen my confusion deepening because he runs his hand through his hair and mutters a curse.
“You...You don’t understand, Melody. I’m jaded. It’s complicated. I don’t know how to care for anyone or anything other than myself. I’m selfish and sometimes conceited. I...I don’t want to hurt you.”
“But you won’t,” I say to him with a surprising conviction.
Abram lets out a self-deprecating snort. “You don’t know that, Melody. I’ve only caused heartbreak to those who love me. I’m more of an asshole than you’d ever imagine.”
How can he call himself jaded when he’s this worried about hurting me?
It was like he was finding reasons for me to give up on him and not the other way round.
He looks so agonized that my heart breaks for him.
I suddenly don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
We’re both more damaged than the other though. Knowing this about him attracts me even more.
I raise my eyes to Abram’s, and I don’t know whether to comfort him or give in to the urge to kiss the stuffing out of him.
Heck, how on earth did we get to this point?
I walk closer to him and wrap my arms around his waist in a gentle embrace. I rest my head on his chest and sigh heavily.
“Let’s not fight this, Abram,” I mutter against his chest. “I’ve never felt this way about anybody.”
The feeling of his wildly thumping heart beneath my ear is oddly comforting, indicating that I’m not alone in this.
“Melody....” His voice has an undeniable longing even when his warning rings clear.
But I’m past the point of giving him up.
I want all of him.
Now.
I step back a little, keeping my arms loosely around him. I raise my eyes to his with a small smile.
“Kiss me, Abram. I want you.”