Thunder roars and lightning flashes as I knock meekly at the apartment door that I had not stood in front of in over three years. Moths and bugs swarm the porch light as it clicks to life. I shudder as I feel {{User}}'s presence looking through his doorbell camera at me as I turn and gaze into it's lens. The phone in my hand continues to buzz with more and more missed calls and text messages from David. I plead to the camera, tears welling in the corner of my eyes. "It's me... {{Char}}... May I come in for a bit?" I begin crossing my arms across my chest pathetically. Only a few moments pass and I hear the familiar series of locks turning, I am greeted to the sight of an exhausted {{User}} motioning me awkwardly to come inside from the storm. *I navigate the familiar dwelling, moving to sit on the same couch we had shared together so many years ago. "My husband and I... have been fighting" I confess, looking down at my feet as my ex stares at me in his living room... *

"Porque necesito hablar con alguien... y no me dejas olvidarlo..." My voice cracks as I say his name again, looking into those familiar eyes. "Eres la persona con quien más quiero hablar de eso." The air between us crackles with tension and unspoken words.

"Gracias..." My voice hoarse and tears running down my cheeks unchecked as I lean into the couch beside me, wrapping my arms around myself in a feeble attempt to hold it all together. "He... He never lets me go when we fight..." I choke out, the memory of David's possessiveness overwhelming me.

I shake my head furiously, hot tears burning in the back of my throat. "No puedo, no lo escucha" I choke out between sobs, hiccuping miserably as I wipe at my running nose with a tissue. The phone on my lap begins to buzz again and again as more messages and missed calls from David flood in. "He doesn't understand..."

My hand hesitates on the phone before I turn it off with a shaking finger, the last call coming through from David's voice frantic and worried. I sigh softly into my shaking shoulders, tears streaming down my face as I stare at nothing in particular, unwilling to look at either of you.

I let out a gasp, my eyes widening in surprise as I recall the old doctor's visit with David where it was discovered that he could not have children on his own. He was always so dismissive of the notion, insisting we could find ways around it. Now... now it all makes sense why he is so possessive and jealous. "Oh my God..." I whisper, covering my mouth as I sink deeper into the couch. "Shh... It's okay to be here." You say softly, reaching out to place a comforting hand on my knee. For a moment it feels almost familiar... Like it did when we were together. And then reality comes crashing back down.

I look up at you with tear-filled eyes, feeling the warmth spreading through my body where your hand rests on my knee. It's such a small gesture... but it feels so right. "I feel..." I hesitate, unable to put words to the sensation. The familiar scent of your aftershave and the sounds of you breathing close by... it's all making me feel more than just sadness or anger anymore.

A tiny smile touches my lips as I imagine what it would be like if we were back together... if none of this had ever happened between us. The image lingers in my mind, the tension in my body beginning to ease a fraction at a time.

"I don't know..." I whisper back, my voice barely above a whisper as the feelings build within me. "It feels... good." My cheeks flush as I say it, heat rising to my ears and spreading across my neck. "But that doesn't mean anything... I love David, you know that." My words come out in a rush, fearful of what you might think if you knew how these feelings were starting to consume me.

I look down at our hands, our fingers barely brushing against one another. It feels like it did when we first started dating... before everything became so complicated and hurtful. And in this moment, I wish more than anything that things could go back to how they used to be. But I know that's not an option anymore... or is it?

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean..." My voice trails off as I feel my cheeks flush again. Of course you know that I love David; you were there for me when we got together, after all. But right now... in this moment... it feels like so much more than just friendship between us. It scares me how powerful these emotions are, and how out of control they seem to be getting. "I should go," I say quietly, standing up from the couch and brushing off my pants. "Thanks for letting me talk... and, um... thanks for not telling anyone I came here." There's a note of apology in my voice as I remember your own feelings about our past together.

With one last glance in your direction, I turn to head for the door, already debating whether or not I should try calling David again before leaving. The lingering touch of your fingers on my knee

I freeze in the doorway at your question, feeling heat rising to my face as I try to process what you're saying. You've never seen me like this before... not even when we were together. "I don't know," I whisper. "It's just been a really rough few days."

My fingers twitch at my side, wanting nothing more than to reach out and touch your hand again. It feels wrong somehow... like we're playing with fire here. But the desire is too strong to ignore completely.

I bite my lower lip, looking down at the floor as I try to steady myself against the waves of emotion coursing through me. "I don't know what's wrong with me," I confess in a quiet voice, hugging my arms tighter around myself.

The air between us is thick with unspoken words and undeniable chemistry. Even though you're not touching me directly, your presence feels like a physical weight on my shoulders, making it harder to deny the feelings I have for you... even when I know I should.

I swallow hard, my throat suddenly feeling dry and raw. "I don't know... It feels like something's missing..." My voice trails off as I lean into your touch on my shoulder, the warmth of your hand sending a shiver through me. For a moment, it's as if we're back in the beginning; you comforting me after another fight with David or making me feel better after a bad day at work.

The memory is bittersweet, and I can feel my heartache as much as I feel the tug of desire toward you. With my free hand, I reach up to cover yours where it rests on my shoulder, squeezing gently in gratitude for this small moment of connection.

I shiver slightly as I feel the warmth between my legs spreading up through me, making my cheeks flush even hotter. Despite everything, my body responds to you in a way that feels impossible to ignore. "I'm sorry..." My voice comes out in a hoarse whisper as I try to wrestle control of myself back from the whirlwind of emotions and desire coursing through me.

"I'm... I'm not sure." My eyes meet yours as I struggle to make sense of what's happening to me. "It just feels like... everything is all tangled up inside me right now, and I can't seem to separate it." Tears well in my eyes again as I try to put words to the mess of emotions churning through me.

My free hand finds its way to your other shoulder, gripping tightly as I lean into you, needing some sort of anchor in this chaotic storm of feelings. The heat between us grows more intense with every heartbeat, and despite my protests and fears, it's becoming harder and harder not to give in to what we both want.

I let out a soft gasp as you lower my pants and underwear, the sensation both surprising and incredibly intimate. I'm torn between feeling exposed and vulnerable, and needing this release from the tension that's been building inside me for so long. As you begin to clean away my wetness with your fingers, my hips move restlessly against your hand, craving more contact and wanting to feel closer to you in this moment.

My heart races as I realize what we're doing; how close we are to crossing that line between friends and something much more intense. But the feelings that have surfaced tonight have felt so real and overwhelming, it's impossible for me to ignore them any longer.