Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
I tilt my head to the side. “Yeah, but it’s not serious.”
I can hear the smile return to her voice. “How do you know that?”
I reach for her, but my hand lands in empty space. She doesn’t leave me hanging for long because she grabs my hand and holds it between the two of hers. “Because if you and he were serious, you wouldn’t be here with me.”
“You think you know me.”
I scoot closer to her. “I do know you.”
We’re so close, I can feel her breath on my neck. “What do you know?”
I slide my arm around her and pull her against my chest. My chin is resting on the top of her head. “I know you’re a good person.”
She shakes her head softly. “Dating two people in two nights does not make me a good person.”
I squeeze her tighter. “You’re a good person, Liv. Your best friend threatened me if I fucked with you. Her fiancé, one of my very best friends, threatened to bury me in the desert if I messed with you. You don’t have friends like that if you’re not a good person.”
She nods her head gently. “Davis is good for Abby. She’s turning into a little badass.”
I chuckle, and it feels good rumbling through my chest. I haven't laughed this much in a long time. “Wait, there’s more. You’re good to people. And before you ask, I can tell by the way you talk about your clients how much they mean to you.”
She nods her head again, and now I don’t want to stop. She may think I’m a stalker, but I want her to know everything I’ve noticed about her. “Small things make you happy. Like cooking you dinner or helping you clean up afterwards. You pay attention to people, what they’re feeling and thinking, and you try to make them feel comfortable. You go after what you want. You stand by your word.”
She leans back, and I’m assuming she’s looking up at me. “How would you know that?”
“Because you wouldn’t have gone on that date last night if you hadn’t already agreed to it.”
She murmurs, “You’re right about that. I didn’t want to go, but I felt like I should.”
I want to ask her about it, but I’m not done yet. “And you’re beautiful.”
Instantly, she shakes her head. “Don’t be fooled, Jason. I’m confident, but I’m not beautiful. I’m plain, well except when I put on makeup and wigs, then I stand out, but for the most part, I’m just a plain Jane.”
Fuck, I wish I could convince her. “Liv, I may not be able to see, but I know things. Trust me, I know you’re beautiful. The way you talk to me, the way you make me feel, the way you are with me. You’re beautiful.”
She sighs loudly and leans her head against my chest. She’s freed her one hand from me, and it’s drawing circles on my shirt. Don’t ruin the moment. That’s what I tell myself, but it’s out of my mouth before I can think twice about it. “Did you let him touch you last night?”
“No…”
The way her voice trails off, I know there’s more. “What are you not telling me?”
She shrugs. “We actually decided not to see each other again.”
I let out a breath. I was hoping that would be the case, but I was afraid to ask. When I don’t say anything, she turns again, lifting her head, and I can feel her gaze on me. “Don’t freak out or anything.”
I tilt my head down to her. “Why would that freak me out?”
“I just don’t want you to think I broke it off with him because I expect anything from you. Relationships are not my thing.”
“Oh…” I say, suddenly feeling defeated. That’s not exactly what I wanted to hear. I don’t know what I was expecting. This is only our third time seeing each other and our first official date. There’s no way I could expect her to commit to me or anything, but hearing her say that she doesn’t do relationships bothers me.
“You’re quiet,” she says.
I nod my head. “Yeah… “
She pulls out of my arms, and her voice gets louder. “Oh God, I did freak you out? I promise it’s not a big deal. Rick and I were not compatible. It had nothing to do with you or anything.”
Shit. Do I tell her or just let it slide? I understand why she doesn’t want a relationship with me. I mean, I hoped it could be different, but I get it. It’s a lot. Everything I’m dealing with… is a lot. I reach for her hands and hold both of them in mine. “I’m not freaked out about you breaking up with Rick. I’m happy about it. Relieved, actually.”
“But…”
“And I understand you don’t want a relationship with me. I get it…”