Sometimes stories just need sequels. The continuation of "She and I" has been buzzing in my head for a while. Truthfully, I just felt there was more to "Samantha" and "Caroline's" story. If you haven't read "She and I", this story will be a bit hard to follow as it references characters and events that happened in the previous story. Thank you all so much for your reviews, follows and comments in the past. And, I truly am awestruck with the messages you guys have sent with compliments and encouraging me to pick up writing again. –M

She and Him
(Sequel to She and I)

Ch. 1

The moon peeked inside Alex's apartment casting light throughout the dark bedroom.

Living high up in her Manhattan apartment made Alex a bit of an exhibitionist when it came to nudity.

She loved the sunlight in the day, but she more so loved the moon at night and the way it highlighted the naked body beneath her.

"Have you ever been to Paris?"

Alex stopped kneading the muscles in Olivia's back abruptly.

"Why would you ask that?"

Olivia gave Alex a sideways glance and then pressed her cheek back into her pillow.

"Liv?"

"I just wanted to know if you had ever been. It's beautiful there and I just…" Olivia said defensively, but stopped herself from speaking further.

Alex pressed the palm of her hands back in to Olivia's muscles, between her shoulder blades.

Alex grazed over the deep scar that marred Olivia's skin.

Olivia had only explained that the now healed gash to her back happened when Lucas had thrown her against a stone wall in the alleyway.

In Paris.

"Twice." Alex finally offered. "The first time, I went as a teenager with my mother. The second was in my late twenties with a guy I was dating."

"I had never been…" Olivia said leaving her words hanging in thin air.

Olivia had never given any real details about what had happened in Paris only that Gareth had been good to her, and of course that was where Lucas Quinn had kidnapped her.

Where Lucas Quinn grabbed her, took her in to an alley, and in broad daylight beat her to a bloody pulp and then kidnapped her, with all intentions to kill her.

Paris.

"You're right it's beautiful there." Alex agreed.

Olivia didn't respond and Alex could tell her thoughts were now a million miles away, maybe lost in Paris.

"Honey?"

"Hmm?" Olivia said breaking her trance. "Oh I'm sorry, my mind was wandering."

Her mind had been wandering a lot lately.

Olivia hadn't been cleared to go back to work and she had been spending more time alone while Alex was at work.

That left her to think, to think too much.

Olivia had learned to retreat inside her head and Alex blamed it on everything from PTSD, to Olivia not being able to go back to the job she loved so much, to the short winter days.

But it was Olivia's own patience with her mental and physical state that had worn thin.

Therapy worked some days, other days it seemed to be what sent her in to depression.

Therapy was just another reminder of how her life wasn't the same.

When Alex would come home, Olivia craved to be with her. And Alex did all she could to be with her, to come home at a decent hour, to give her the contact she needed. Most of the time they made love or Olivia would just cling to Alex on the couch, or in bed.

Olivia didn't really care to go out, but she did it for Alex.

If Alex wanted to go to dinner or a movie or see friends.

She had learned to pretend for Alex.

Olivia had survived the worst of it, but the once resilient woman who could compartmentalize and will herself to move on… now struggled with what had happened, and in result who she had become.

Olivia was sliding backwards.

She had been fine… but time wasn't healing Olivia's mental wounds.

Physically she was fine, her wrist, her shoulder... had healed.

But mentally she was sliding backwards.

Alex leaned in placing kisses against the back of Olivia's neck.

She felt the chill bumps form on Olivia's skin.

They had already made love earlier in the evening, but the cravings to be with each other, to touch each other never wavered.

Alex pressed her core in to Olivia's lower back.

Olivia moaned quietly, satisfied with feeling how wet Alex was again.

Alex knew what made Olivia feel alive.

She wanted to make her feel alive.

Alex continued to message Olivia's body this time reaching to sooth up and down her sides with her fingers tips, caressing the sides of Olivia's breasts.

Alex leaned in against Olivia's ear, "Hey baby, it's snowing."

Olivia opened her eyes, looking up turning towards the window to see the first snowfall of the season fall against the night sky.

Olivia then turned, Alex now on her knees letting Olivia lie on her back to face her.

Alex continued to hover, letting her blonde hair fall on to Olivia's skin.

She then leaned in capturing Olivia's dark nipple in between her lips.

Olivia head fell back, lavishing in Alex's mouth on her body.

Olivia dug her fingers through Alex's hair, her diamond engagement ring, the one Alex had given her not long after Olivia had ask her or accepted Alex's marriage proposal, sparked against the moonlit room.

"I love you so much." Olivia said, letting out a breath.

"I love you." Alex said before crashing her lips against Olivia's.

She wanted to make her feel alive.

They kissed passionately as Alex's fingers trailed down between Olivia's thighs.

Olivia's back arched as Alex's fingers sunk in to her.

Alex would move heaven and earth for Olivia and she had proven that in the time they had been together.

From the moment she changed her identity, even if for a short time, and boarded a plane to Dublin to be by Olivia's side.

Alex would do anything to make Olivia forget all that haunted her.

Memories she couldn't forget.

The constant reminder of the physical and emotional scars left on her skin and on her heart.

Alex kissed Olivia passionately as her fingers slid back and forth rhythmically against Olivia's center.

She kissed her, pecking at her skin until she could feel Olivia's breath hitch beneath her.

She heard her moan and clinch Alex's hands between her legs as if to beg for mercy as she came.

To stop and to keep going.

When Olivia opened her eyes she saw the corners of Alex's mouth turn upwards.

Olivia snuggled in to Alex's arms and they lay there in silence until Olivia finally spoke. "I'm sorry I brought up Paris."

"Honey please don't be sorry, it just caught me off guard."

"I can't be afraid of a place, a city."

"No, no and I don't want you to be. It's just…"

"A sensitive subject." Olivia finished as she turned to face Alex.

"Yes it is. And I hate that it is. I don't want to have this fear…. I would love to go to Paris with you someday. I want to go everywhere with you. I want to marry you. I want our lives, your life to be full and I want us both to experience so many things."

"I think I just have this notion that if I go back to Paris, if I stand on that street corner, my life will come back. Maybe I can leave Samantha there and be Olivia again."

"Baby" Alex whispered, brushing Olivia's hair back from her eyes. "It will just take time. You will feel like yourself again I promise."

"You believe that?" Olivia asked honestly

"Yes! I believe that. Don't you?"

"Honestly I did… But, I just feel like I'm losing ground some days. There's just something..." Olivia silenced her own thoughts.

Alex pressed her lips into Olivia's bare shoulder to console her.

"It's behind us; it's all behind us now. Everything is going to be ok." She reassured.

Olivia shook her head trying to believe, wanting to believe Alex, but there was something that haunted her, something that wouldn't let everything that had happened rest.