The creak of the door opening didn't surprise him, but it did make his breathing, already painful, come faster. He kept his knees clutched to his chest and looked away, unable to lift his eyes to see hers, but at last, suddenly, emotion stirred from deep inside of him and threatened to erupt in a rush of need. Frantically, he tried to push it down and he said nothing, afraid of what might come out of he tried, but he did, finally, force himself to turn his head, and look up to see her face.
She was illuminated by a small sliver of dim light from inside, and when he saw her, fragments of his resolve began chipping away. He wanted to touch her, but he was so afraid of her pushing him away that he couldn't move.