Page 32 of Teach Me to Laugh

“Why not?”

“Because there are people at these places who aren’t good people.”

“There are bad people everywhere.”

I rolled my eyes, “My point exactly.”

“You can’t live your life in fear of bad people. Hell, you can’t live your life in fear. You do and it’ll ruin you.” He tipped hischin. “Besides, you got people with you tonight who care about you.”

“Anything can happen, Beckett.”

His eyes flared, and I saw something I’d never seen in the mocha depths. I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know what it meant. What I knew was that I liked it. A lot.

And then his already low voice lowered. I liked that too. “Do you think I’d ever let anything happen to you?”

His voice and his words sent shivers pulsing down the length of my spine. My breath snagged and I whispered, “No.”

“Then order a drink. Let go just this once—and let me take care of you. We’ll have a good night out together. We’ll take a taxi home, and I promise in the morning you’ll be safe and in one piece.”

I turned again in the circle of Beckett’s safe arms, and waved at the bartender. “I’ll take something strong.”

A few hours later the strong drink I asked the bartender to give me, proved its strength. I was hammered. Very hammered.

For the first time in as far back as I could remember, I was in public and I was blissfully unaware of all but one thing; the fact that Beckett was taking care of me.

Raina leaned in and yelled over the music, “I don’t think he’s taken his eyes off you once.”

“He hasn’t,” my hips kept rocking to the music and heat flamed over my flesh at the feel of Beckett’s eyes on me. “Hepromised he’d keep me safe if I wanted to let go. He’s keeping his promise.”

“I think hereallylikes you.”

“A lot,” Maddy put in, moving her hips in small motions to the music. The girl was even worse than me at clubbing, and I was pretty bad, so that was saying something.

“I think from now on Maddy and I are going to stick to wine and ice cream nights at her place.”

Maddy bobbed her head. “Yes. I agree. One hundred percent.”

“Good.”

“I love dancing,” Raina objected, pouting.

“We can dance at Maddy’s.” I assured and Raina giggled.

“Done!”

“Well, that was easy enough.” Maddy smiled easily, drunkenly. “My place next time.”

“I think we should join the boys at the table,” Raina said, smiling at Kaiden. “They’re looking lonely, and so delicious over there.”

One minute she was in her little dress dancing up a storm, and the next she was half way to the table. Maddy and I watched her go before we decided that without Raina, we weren’t much for dancing.

We followed, and I felt my blood heat a little more below my skin with every step I took closer to Beckett. He’d been drinking, but unlike me, he wasn’t obliterated. This was the first time in my life that I’d let loose with friends. Granted, this was the first time in my life that I’d had true friends to let loosewith, so that could have something to do with my letting go. Regardless, the importance of this night wasn’t lost on me. It also wasn’t lost on me that I was feeling this kind of happy and carefree, while still feeling safe, because of Beckett.

So when he stood up to gesture me into the booth, I didn’t hesitate. I also didn’t get tense and uncomfortable when he lowered his big body back to the seat, his arm lazily swinging to rest behind me on the booth.

I saw Raina’s green eyes pop wide, her smile huge, as she watched Beckett move. When I didn’t react, but rather pretended not to notice, her smile got even wider.

If I made a big deal out of something as simple as Beckett’s arm kind of/sort of resting around me like I was his, then he’d move. I didn’t want him to move, so I didn’t make a big deal. I also ignored Raina, hoping she wouldn’t make a big deal of it either.

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