Chapter Thirty:

Skinner…

She held out her hand. "Where are you?" He took her hand in his. She reached out to him.

Her soft hand found his shoulder. Her hand he held travelled out of his grip and up his arm to his shoulder. They stood facing each other, with both her hands on his shoulders. Then, one hand travelled up his neck to his cheek. Like a blind woman, she lightly traced her fingers across his face, feeling carefully, almost documenting his features.

Then she stepped toward him. He didn't move. The fabric of her dressing gown lightly brushed against his chest as she stopped close to him. "I wish I could see you," she whispered. "I miss you…"

Skinner slipped his arms around her waist. "I know," he whispered, looking into her eyes. They were still a little red from crying, but still enchanting. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "It's like your gone," she whispered sadly. "It feels like I've lost you because I can't see you."

"That antidote you made for me," he began. She placed a finger on his mouth, silencing him.

"Later," she murmured. Then she kissed him. Her arms slipped around his shoulders, pulling him to her.

This was unlike anything Skinner had ever experienced. Sure, he's kissed her before, but not like this. Every touch of her lips on his sent bolts of nervous energy through every nerve in his body. He felt as he did when he gave a girl his first kiss ever. Young, foolhardy, passionate. In love. She had this effect on him. Everything seemed so perfect. The taste of her kiss, the way they melded into each other, everything was perfect. He wanted it to last forever.

She gently pulled away from him. "Oh, gods," she said softly, backing away from him and realising what she had done. "I'm sorry, Skinner. I didn't mean…" She sat on the edge of her bed.

He walked over to her. "Tell me about the antidote you've concocted for me," he said softly, running his finger up her exposed arm. Her dressing gown was slipping from her shoulders.

"At first," she said, standing and pulling her dressing gown off. She seemed frustrated with it as she threw it across the room. "I thought it would be versatile to be invisible. Then, I thought that it wouldn't be quite so happy if you couldn't become visible again. So…" She sat down again.

"So you developed an antidote to make me visible again," he finished for her.

She nodded. "Yes," she said. "But only if you wanted it. I don't even know if it works or not." She fell backwards and laid on the bed.

"Why did you do that for me?" he asked. "I shot you."

"Oh, honestly," she said. "I forgave you the moment you did it."

"But, you said—"

"I know what I said," she interrupted. "I was pulling your leg." She sighed. "I guess I did it in an act of pure and simple selfishness. I wanted to be able to see you again… So, you see, my flaws have no boundaries."

Skinner leaned on his side beside her, looking down at her. In the flickering light, she was positively enticing. The shadows in her hair, across her face, across her body. He had never seen a woman more beautiful. He lightly ran his fingers up her front from her navel to her throat. He felt her shiver under his touch. "I see no flaws," he murmured. "Only perfection…"

"I think you need to get your vision checked..."