Page 21 of Everything I Desire

He hops out of the truck and runs around to open my door for me before I can open it myself. He helps me down out of the truck. Our hands linger a little longer than they should.

The tension between us is palpable.

He looks down at me and I lean into his space so minutely I don’t think he even notices until I hear him suck in a breath.

“Porter?”

“Yea, baby?”

“Kiss me.”

He opens his mouth, probably to protest me but I don’t let him. I wrap my hand around the back of his neck and pull him to me. I’m stretched all the way up on my tiptoes, not letting him back away.

I press my lips to his, soft at first, but when he finally opens his lips to me the kiss is frenzied, needy.

The last ten years of pent up emotion are poured into this kiss.

He pulls back, both of us are gasping for our breath. He let’s go of me and pulls back more.

“Porter, don’t. Please,” I plead with him, refusing to let go of his forearms.

“Baby, I cant, I-”

“You’re not good enough for me?” I say with sarcasm. I cross my arms so he gets just how tired I am of hearing this.

“Porter Jackson, you better quit using that as your excuse. The man I know, the man who gave up his entire life twice now because he thought it was best for the girls involved, is good enough. The best kind of man there is.”

I stomp past him to get the boxes out of the back of his truck, grab the lightest one there is, and leave the heavy ones for him to lug all the way into the school.

Then I continue stomping my way right up to the door, waiting for him to decide if he’s coming, or better yet, if he’s done using that damn excuse.

Chapter Eight

Porter

I spent another day with Addy at the high school putting up some decorations where she couldn’t reach, then she roped me into helping put together swag bags for the kids.

I used that opportunity to ask her for yet another favor.

Kayla needs a dress for the Spring Fling.

I don’t think she wants to go shopping with me, I think she wants to go with her mother, like all her friends. But she’s too polite to tell me that. She’s too grateful to just be able to get a dress. She’s been showing me pictures on social media of her friends' dresses and they’re always accompanied by a photo of them smiling with their mothers. It breaks my heart for her.

Addy of course said she would absolutely take her shopping, and she asked Lacey and Scarlett to join them. I can’t wait to tell Kayla when she comes down for breakfast. I want to give her this surprise.

“Uncle Porter, are you cooking bacon?” She comes down the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“I’m trying. I figure you can’t mess that up too bad.” I shrug.

“You’re hopeless.” She pushes me out of the way and starts pulling out all the ingredients to make pancakes. She’s picked up on Addy’s cooking lessons much faster than I have.

“Hey, how would you like to go shopping for a Spring Fling dress today?” I beam at her.

“Uh, yeah, sure. I guess I need to do that soon.” She continues on with the pancakes and doesn’t glance at me when she answers.

Her lack of excitement confirms that she doesn’t want to go with me at all.

“What if I said Addy and her sisters are going to take you to the city to go dress shopping then take you out to dinner?” I press.

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