More Than Words: Kissed By A Muse #3 by S.K Munt

chance to see her. And when those precious windows of time had opened up, Paisley had usually opted to go out drinking with her friends- the kind of binges that had ended with her stumbling home drunk at three in the morning with a handbag stuffed with other guys’ numbers, and had complained that Bruce’s job was the problem- what was she supposed to do with herself when he worked five nights a week?
    She’d never cheated (that he knew of) but she had over two thousand Facebook friends, and fifteen hundred of them had been random guys she’d hit it off with at school or while out and about who in-boxed her a lot- inboxes Bruce was forbidden from asking about.
    He’d known that their relationship had been off since after they’d graduated high school, but Bruce had hung in there because Paisley had never taken the prospect of breaking up well. But four years of having the same arguments over and over again had made Bruce realise that they were in a cycle that was benefitting neither and he’d ended it.
    Paisley had been dating crazily since, only she refused to sever ties completely with Bruce, and often called him after each date to complain that they weren’t ‘him’. And now Bruce was left feeling very confused- still in love with her, or at least the history they had- but desperate to drop the final blade and cut her out of his life completely. He said he would have done that by then, only he was beginning to wonder if maybe, without the relationship, Paisley was still his best friend and always would be. Their history was long and rich, their families were entangled, as were their friends, and now that they were no longer obligated to allot time for one another, finding time to share had become an easier task.
    Leigh hadn’t known what to say and so she’d said that, but told him that she couldn’t blame him one little bit for not having checked all of his baggage yet. He really was a sweet, cute guy and Leigh knew that once he’d come into his own, he’d be a heartbreaker. She’d told him that too, and that seemed to please him greatly- though he did admit that he didn’t want to be a heartbreaker- he just wanted to find that right girl and stay with her for always.
    By the time Bruce was through with his story, they were pulling up in front of Ryan’s house and she had developed some weird intestinal condition which was aggravated by Ryan’s scent, which was everywhere within his home.
    ‘Do you want me to come in while you change… or should I leave the car running like in a bank hold-up?’ Bruce had joked.
    ‘No, come in. I need a quick shower- but I mean it when I say: ‘quick’.’ Leigh glanced down the street behind her and winced, imagining the scene she’d have to deal with if Ryan came home and found Bruce there. But then she remembered the offer he’d had from Isabelle, and her panic was replaced with jealousy. ‘If you just want to take a seat in the living room…’
    Bruce had nodded, lifting his tablet from his dash and following Leigh inside. She dug out the spare key from a knot in the Oak tree and then made quick work of telling Bruce to make himself comfortable while she rushed down to her room.
    Leigh was a ball of nerves, and lapsing time did nothing to abate it, nor did the distance she’d opened up between herself and Ryan. As she showered, being careful not to get her braid wet, Leigh had soaped herself and remembered Ryan doing it the night before, and when she shaved her legs, her chest ached to know that she was probably wasting time; Ryan was never going to touch her again. Still, Leigh had always worn make up and clothes like armor and she needed that armor now more than ever.
    God are they both all over him? Taking turns? Are they smoking and drinking and naked with a bunch of guitars… crap Leigh don’t think about it!
    When Leigh got back into the guest room, she realised that only five minutes had passed and so, she allowed herself a bit of time to pick her