Fear of Falling

touching. I needed to kiss her. So. Fucking. Bad. But not now. Not like this. I needed to make her believe that she needed to kiss me too. I needed to prove I was worthy of her lips.
    The sounds of the front door opening and closing startled us, and I went back to where I had left my coffee. Not because I was scared or embarrassed, but because the ball was now in her court.
    “Yes,” she whispered. “I can be ready.”
    Dominic entered just as a relieved smile crept onto my face.
    “Holy shit, what a night!” he exclaimed. Once his eyes fell on me, still shirtless and barefoot, his smile quickly faded, and he froze. His wide, almost angry, expression whipped to Kami, her back still flush against the fridge.
    “Kam, what’s going on?” he asked her, though it sounded like he was asking her if she was ok.
    Kami’s eyes met mine, and I took that as my cue to exit, downing my coffee and placing the cup in the sink.
    “Hey, I’m gonna grab my stuff and wait for CJ downstairs. He should be here any minute.”
    I walked over to Kami and slowly let my hand brush her cheek. I wanted to do so much more, but I didn’t need an audience.
    “I’ll see you at 6,” I said quietly, still aware of Dom’s questioning gaze. Then I let my thumb graze her bottom lip before forcing myself to pull away.
    “Dom,” I nodded as I passed him. He still looked confused, his eyes darting between Kami and me. I knew she was about to receive an earful, and I desperately wanted to save her from it. I heard the hushed interrogation before I even made it to Kami’s room.
    I slipped on my dirty t-shirt and shoes and was just about to head out of the front door when Dom stopped me.
    “Hey man, wait up,” he said, jogging towards me. “I’ll walk you down.”
    Ah, I knew where this was going. Though the whole “What are your intentions” conversation was usually reserved for fathers and big brothers, I could respect Dom for looking out for Kami. I could tell he really cared for her.
    “Kam told me what happened last night,” he began as we made our way down the hall to the elevator. “Thank you. Seriously. I should’ve been there. I should’ve brought my ass home last night. Fuck! Dude, thank you for helping her. I owe you.”
    I shook my head. “You don’t owe me anything. I was just glad I was there in time before…shit. I’m just glad I stopped that fucker in time.” I felt my fists tighten at my sides and my face flame with rage.
    “She also said you stayed with her. To make sure she was ok.” Dom cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. “She said nothing happened.”
    “Yeah, and?”
    “It’s just…even though nothing’s happened yet, I see how you look at her. And how she looks at you. And I just want you to know… Kami is special. She’s unlike any chick you’ve probably ever dealt with. And because of how special she is, she needs to be treated delicately.”
    “Ok…?” What the hell was he trying to get at? I knew Kami was special, but he was making her sound special in a totally different way, as if she was disabled or slow.
    “Bottom line, she needs a lot of patience and understanding. She needs someone that can protect her, mostly from herself. And if you’re not that type of dude, walk away now. I won’t judge you; I won’t be upset. Don’t show up for your date tonight. I can even cover for you or something. Just get out now, and don’t look back.”
    I frowned with disgust, furious at his words. “What the fuck… Do you have this talk with every guy she dates?”
    Even after seeing the violent expression on my face, Dom chuckled and shook his head. “Only with ones she actually likes.”
    “Hmph,” I snorted. “And is she ok with this shit?”
    “Wouldn’t know,” he shrugged. “You’re the first.”
    His words cooled the anger I felt just moments before.
    I was the first .
    I wasn’t just imagining it; Kami had feelings for me. Feelings as real as the ones that had kept me up at night for the past month, picturing those bright green eyes and pouty lips. Feelings that I needed to explore. We needed to explore.
    “Let her know I’ll be back at 6. And tell her to dress comfortably.”
    I stepped onto the elevator, the doors sliding closed on Dominic’s nod of acceptance. I already knew Kami was special. I knew she was unlike anyone I had ever met since the day she came into Dive, blinking away tears and in search of an escape. I knew she was running then. And thankfully,