Page 19 of Scar

TallyadoredTom for making Simone finally understand it was okay to love her body, even though she was not a size zero. Tom was what some would call ‘willowy’. The man was six-three with not an ounce of fat on him and not that much muscle. Despite the differences in their bodies, Simone and Tom were an amazing couple.

They were one of the reasons Tally refused to settle for Mark.

“What happened?” Simone demanded as she clung to Tally.

Tally hesitated because Simone didn’t know about Gordon Tremont’s harassment. She hadn’t wanted to worry her and it was nothing Tally couldn’t handle on her own. Simone might be a stay-at-home mom, but it wasn’t like she was sitting home on the couch eating Bon Bons all day. Being a mom was a thankless job and Tally did not want to cause Simone any more stress. Additionally, Simone helped Tally out with her office work since Tally had fired her last office manager.

Tonight was the first time Gordon Tremont had switched tactics. He’d never had someone follow her home before. She hadn’t even known he knew where she lived.

“Ms. Meacham believed there was an intruder in her home but we found no evidence of such,” the officer with the Boston accent stated when Tally hesitated.

Great. He made her sound like a paranoid nutcase.

“Is there anything you need from us?” Tom asked. Simone and Tally separated, both remaining on the couch next to the other.

“Not at this time, sir. We’ve taken her report and will increase patrols in the area for the rest of tonight.”

If Tally could roll her eyes, she would. Sure, the big, bad officer was respectful now that someone with eyes and a penis had arrived. Instead, she made a scoffing noise, to which Simone squeezed her leg in warning.

Tally did not have what sighted people would call a ‘poker face’. She’d never learned to school her features because it wasn’t something she registered as normal day-to-day.

“We appreciate you checking up on her,” was Mark’s comment. Crap, why did his voice grate on her nerves like nails on a chalkboard? She really shouldnotbe dating him. But the idea of being alone was equally terrifying. Mark might not bein lovewith her, but she knew he loved her. They really had been good friends before they’d started sleeping together.

“It’s our job, sir.”

Simone squeezed Tally’s thigh harder. Shit, she must have made a face again.

Numerous footfalls on the hardwood floor told her that Tom or Mark was escorting the officers out. At theclickof the door, Tally stood up. She’d followed the officers from room to room earlier, but she did not sense the man that had been inside her apartment. She walked around again to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. She couldn’t detect him with echolocation using a louder cluck than her usual discreet click and there wasn’t anything in the air that gave away he’d been there. Like he hadn’t left a trace of himself behind. Normally, Tally could smell a person’s shampoo or odor even after their departure.

When she came out to the living room, she sensed Mark approaching her. “Tally, baby, what’s going on?”

His voice was softer than it had been with the officers, caring. When he put his arms around her, she found herself sagging into his chest.

Mark was five-nine with a full beard and a slight belly. She liked how tactile he was, always touching her. She knew a lot of people who were deaf or blind didn’t like to be touched, and she didn’t either when it came to strangers, but she loved it when her friends and family reached out to her. Like they were giving her a part of them.

Tally ‘saw’ with her hands a lot. Having someone she loved touch her was like them returning a kiss or a hug.

The fact that Mark didn’t hesitate to touch her or didn’t touch her with reservation was one of the things she liked most about him. But she shouldn’t have to continuously remind herself of his ‘good qualities’ as a reason to be with him.

She wished there was a way to just push him back into the friend zone without hurting him.

Tally had no idea how to answer him. Based on the sound of denim against microfiber, Tally knew Simone and Tom were sitting on her couch. It was likely only because the police had just left her apartment that Simone wasn’t making some comment about the ‘god awful’ color of her couch. Tally was honestly grateful for that; she didn’t really have the energy for their playful banter tonight.

“I’m sorry you guys came over.” She straightened off of Mark. “It’s after midnight and three of us have to go to work in the morning. I’m really sorry.” Pausing, she turned towards Simone. “Where’s Amelia?”

Simone gasped, and a quickslapmade Tally think she’d smacked her husband’s leg. “Shit, I knew we forgot something!” Chuckling, Simone quickly added, “Kidding. Tom’s parents don’t leave until Sunday, remember?”

Tally had forgotten. She’d met the Canadian couple at Tom and Simone’s wedding, but they had been the type of people who shouted at Tally when talking as if being blind also made her hard of hearing. When Tally and Mark had been invited over to Simone and Tom’s house this week to have dinner with them, Tally had been relieved to not be lying when she said she would be busy at work and unable to attend.

Unfortunately, Simone had brought her mother-in-law and Amelia to the restaurant for lunch earlier in the week. When Tally came out to say hello, the entire dining room had heard Tom’s mother say hello back.

Tally scowled. Her mom used to tell her that her scowls looked more like she was sucking on something sour than a real scowl. Unfortunately, her mom had found Tally’s version of a scowl too adorable to take seriously when she’d been a child. Tally had since tried to adjust what her scowl looked like based on what others described the facial expression to be, but Tally was too tired to concentrate on it now.

“I’m serious, guys. Go home. I feel silly enough as it is.”Sheknew that the man had been in her apartment, and for now, that was going to have to be enough. Explaining who she believed the man was and the fight she’d had on her walk home from work was far too long of a story for the current time of night.

“Why don’t you come back to my place—” Mark started, but Tally stopped him.

“No!” Shedefinitelydid not have that sort of energy. “I’m fine. Really.”

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