She sat on his front porch for 15 minutes. Then 20 minutes. Then 25 minutes.
She thought about what she had said. She thought about what Will had said.
The words replayed in her mind over and over again. "I'm not your patient."
"The way I am in relationships isn't compatible with the way you are."
"I have a professional curiosity about you."
She thought about the kiss. She thought about the way Will's lips felt against her own. She thought about how she didn't want to pull away.
The way Will made her feel was undeniable. He was unlike anyone else she had ever met. It wasn't just his gift, either. She knew that he was unstable but when she was with him, it was as if he was the one keeping her grounded. Maybe it was the sincere look in his eyes when he wanted her to tell the truth. Maybe it was the way he spoke in vague, misunderstood sentences. Maybe it was his affection towards his dogs. Whatever it was, Alana couldn't shake the feeling that Will was not just another guy.
The opening of the door behind her suddenly disturbed her thoughts.
"I thought you would've left by now," Will said, running his hands through his hair.
"I'm sorry, Will. I should go."
"That's not what I meant. I mean I want you to stay, I-If you want to."
"I don't know what I want. I want to be with you, but I also want to distance myself as far away from you as I can."
"Because I'm broken?"
"You're not broken."
"Then what? What's stopping you? I know that I'm not the most stable person but I have feelings for you, Alana. I wanted to kiss you since the day I met you."
Alana looked down. Will walked over to her and sat down beside her on the porch stairs, grabbing her hand. He continued speaking when she turned to look at him, not letting go of him.
"I want to be with you too. You're right, I'm probably the worst person for you right now, but I want you. Not just intimately, either. You're one of the only people who cares about me, and I care about you t- "
"Will. I know. It's okay."
This time it was Alana who leaned in first. She didn't care about how reckless she was being. She didn't care about how unstable she was herself. All she wanted was to kiss Will Graham, and for him to kiss her back. He let go of her hand and pulled her in closer, his hands moving to cup her face. The kiss deepened and all of Alana's doubts were swept away with the smooth motion of Will's lips. She had never been kissed so passionately before. Neither of them were thinking about the future at the moment. All either of them could think about was the present, the oh-so-perfect present.
They pulled away at the same time and looked into each other's eyes.
"Do you want to stay for dinner?" asked Will.
Alana nodded, still looking up at him.
He helped her up and walked with her back into the house, their hands intertwined.
Neither of them new what would happen from here, but as they sat together on the couch, Alana's head resting on Will's shoulder, they new that it was the start of something good.