Page 21 of Yolo

I swallowed past the emotion that welled up inside of me, then thought…fuck it.

I moved toward him with my arms wide open.

He caught me up in his arms, and I buried my face into his chest before bursting into tears.

“Shh,” he said. “Shh.”

He’d said those same words to me when he’d held me in the truck as he barreled toward the emergency room.

The intense rightness of his words made me feel better, and he hadn’t done a damn thing.

“I’m sorry,” I sniffled. “I thought I’d never get to see you again.” I paused. “Well, maybe not see…hear?”

He chuckled. “Hear is good.”

His rumbling voice was enough to send pleasure straight through my veins.

I pulled back, wiping at my eyes, only now realizing I’d forgotten my glasses in my haste to get down here.

“Oh.” I squeezed my eyes shut.

I hated being out in public without my glasses.

I was so self-conscious about my eyes.

It wasn’t like I could help it, but based on the description my mom and dad gave me, they were weird to look at.

They’re pretty, really. I promise I wouldn’t lie to you.

My mom’s assurance that they were beautiful didn’t outweigh Joseph’s.

They’re fucking creepy. God, can you cover them up?

“I just moved here.” I shook off Joseph’s voice. “I don’t know why. I just…I started looking for blind-friendly places to live. And this apartment building is superior for blind people who live alone. There’s a lot of stuff nearby, a bus stop, and anything and everything I could ever need to get to within a safe walking distance. So I just…moved.”

“Oh,” he breathed. “That’s fucking amazing.”

“Do you live here?” I asked.

He caught my hand with his, then pressed another hand on my eyes. “Stop squeezing your eyes shut so tight. You look like you’ll induce a headache.”

I did so, relieved that he didn’t find my eyes creepy.

Since I couldn’t see, sometimes I couldn’t tell that they were open until they started to get really dry.

If he wasn’t bothered…

“I live here,” he said, immediately making my heart rate pick up, only for his words to make it fall. “I’m building a house out of town, though. So not for very much longer.”

My belly sank.

That really sucked.

I kind of liked the idea of him being in the same building as me.

“Bummer,” I sighed. “It would’ve been nice to have someone close to rely on.”

When I inevitably needed some help.

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