’ Connor forced a smile and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. ‘I’ll get you a new one,’ he murmured against her cheek, not relaxing his firm...hold around her body. ‘We’re going to miss the light.’ Connor blinked at her, the expression on his face momentarily blank, and fervently backed her into the concrete wall of the corner building. ‘I don’t care,’ he growled, planting a hand on either side of her head. ‘Frankly, neither of those is important to me. You are.’ His expression grew fiercely. We close up the yard and walk across to my house, Sophie seems distant and I am worried that the moment is broken and she is having second thoughts. At the house, I make us some tea and we eat in silence, I am convinced that my opportunity has passed, afraid to push the situation I fill the dishwasher and tell her I am off to shower, leaving her watching the TV, she knows where the spare room is so I leave her to her own devices, disappointed. I strip off in my bedroom, throwing my dirty. Disgusting, but I couldn't say it upset me. The asshat who started thiswhole mess my life had become was finally gone.Matthew sighed, then began to walk to the helicopter."Let's go," he said sadly.We lifted off and headed toward the west. According to Signe, we were aboutfive hundred miles from her farm. Matthew figured that would be the bestplace to go, since we had a vehicle there waiting for us.I spent the majority of the four-hour flight alternating between dozing andthinking. The dozing. And so, an opportunity presented itself that I could not pass up in order to, well, pass.I suppose it makes sense to describe my sexual mindset on that day. I was sixteen, my birthday only a couple of months earlier. I’d lost my virginity at fourteen to a boy I liked but never ended up dating. It was a party moment. Decent, too. I enjoyed it and wanted more. I had two other lovers before my first serious boyfriend, both classmates. Enjoyable, as well. I can’t say why neither of those turned.