Page 37 of Catching Feeling

“Okay, I do fuck with this. One of my faves,” I tell her as “Fly” plays through the truck speakers.

“I can’t believe you have your playlists public like this. That’s like showing everyone your nudes. A peek inside your soul,” she mutters, dragging her gaze toward me.

“Are you slut shaming me right now?” I ask, my brow raised.

Her lips curve into a sly grin. “Maybe. I mean, you should at least make them work for it.”

“So, you don’t give up the playlists until the fourth date? After the grocery trip, of course. Bananas are very intimate, I get it.”

This makes her laugh, and it floats through the cab of my truck, making me grin in return.

I love her laugh. I love making her laugh. I want to be the one who earns a laugh from her.

“Exactly. You understand. I just think some things are meant to be held close to you. Music happens to be one of them.”

I turn into the grocery store parking lot and find a spot near the front. “I get it.” When she reaches for the handle, I put my hand on her arm, stopping her. “Nah, let me.”

She pauses for a second, blinking, but then nods and takes her hand off the handle.

Sorry, but I’m not letting a girl ride in my truck and not opening the door for them. Especially Viv.

Hopping out, I walk around to the passenger side and open it, offering her my hand. She slides her palm into mine, and I help her out of the truck while she mumbles a quick thank-you.

Something tells me it’s not a thing she’s used to, and I want to kick whoever treated her any differently.

We walk in comfortable silence into the store, and she stops once we’re inside. “Where to first?”

I grab a cart and wheel it over to where she’s standing. “Breakfast food, obviously.”

She smirks. “Good choice.”

Together, we walk over to the fruit section, and she picks out her favorites, and then I pick out some strawberries, grapes, and watermelon. I fucking love fruit, and since I can’t have a ton of sweets in my diet, it’s my vice.

“So… is your dad around?” I ask casually, pretending to be very interested in the twelve different versions of jelly on the shelf in front of me. She’s talked about her mom before, but I’ve never heard her mention her dad.

I feel her stiffen slightly beside me, and my gaze darts to hers. She’s frowning, and I suddenly want to stick my foot in my mouth. The expression on her face is sad, and immediately, I’m kicking my own ass for bringing it up.

“Sorry, not trying to pry. I was just curious. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s okay,” she says quietly as she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “My dad passed away my junior year of high school.”

Damn it. I knew I shouldn’t have asked. No wonder she looks so sad. I can’t even imagine losing my dad or any of my family, honestly.

My gaze softens. “I’m sorry, Viv. I didn’t know.”

“I know. It’s okay. He… was killed in a car accident driving home from work one morning.”

“So it’s just been you and your mom for a while now?” I ask quietly.

She nods while emotion flickers in her eyes. “Yeah. It has. What about you? Are you close with your parents?”

We continue walking across the grocery store, but neither of us has really looked at anything besides each other in a while, and honestly? I love getting to know her.

“I am. My dad’s my best friend, and I’m mom’s baby.” I give her a small smile. “And my little sister, Rosie, is my heart. I’d do anything in the world for her. If she asked me to streak down the street in the middle of rush week, I’d probably do it.”

Viv laughs. “Of course, you would, and you’d probably enjoy it. It’s good that you have each other though. I always wished I had a sibling growing up. And a little black kitten, but unfortunately, I got neither. My parents really only ever wanted one child, and my dad was allergic to cats, so it was just me.” She pauses, sadness morphing her features. “I really miss him.”

I feel so fucking bad for her now that I know about her dad. I want to hug her. Wrap her in my arms and just hold her if she wouldn’t try to probably break my nose again.

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