Page 33 of Handsome
He brushed my wrist and said, “He’s been my best friend for a long time. Growing up in such a big family, it’s not uncommon for some siblings to be closer than others.”
The opposite of my life. My pulse zipped. My mother, sister and brother ignored me, and when I left home, no one cared… until Joshua. My skin erupted in goose bumps, and I had to ask, “You mean no one was ever alone?”
He guided me away from the corner and said, “Not that I know of, and it’s always been important that we're all there for each other, no matter what.”
I walked beside him with a bounce to my step and said, “Your family sounds sweet.”
“Dinner is served,” he said and held my seat for me.
I settled in while wishing I belonged in his world. I’d never met a nicer man in my life.
13
Cyrus
The music was light jazz and a waltz. If we weren’t eating, I’d ask her to just sway with me. We didn’t need to practice.
And her brown hair seemed lighter in the evening and showed off a nice glow to her face.
Sarah was beautiful, and it shone from inside her warm heart.
I sipped wine and watched her while she did the same. Her mouth made me hard with desire.
I tensed but went ahead and asked, “When was your last relationship?”
She put her glass down, ate the rest of her salad, and then, once she was done, she almost whispered, “I wouldn’t call my last boyfriend a relationship really, not in any substantial way.”
Staff cleared the table and left our lamb. We were silent, but her nearness made me feel awake and ready for her.
Once we were alone, I asked the question that burned through me, “Why wasn't it a real relationship?”
She played with the stem of her glass, gazing at the red wine and not at me, though her eyes and lips were downturned when she said, “I don’t think either one of us was looking for love. And I was with him because I was lonely.”
Tension and a sense of urgency seized me because I wanted to go back in time and save her from the pain.
I could tell she had no idea what I was feeling, because she continued and said, “It ended with a feeling of nothingness. I didn’t miss him. I didn’t want him back.” She gazed at me, and the sense of loss disappeared as she said, "And if you love someone, I think you’re supposed to care.”
I wished she’d kiss me, I wanted her so much. But instead I said, “That’s normal.”
She lifted her chin, but she spoke quickly as she asked, “What about you? And don’t talk about Leah.”
I’d explained everything. Sarah was real to me, not her sister, though I would never have dated anyone my brothers dated. I took her hand and said, “Leah wasn’t a relationship. I hardly knew her.”
She lowered her lashes like she wanted to hide her expression, though she didn’t pull away. “She’d been taking hormone pills for a while to make sure whoever she chose would get her pregnant.”
My heart beat faster as I said, “What?”
She wiped her face and then gazed at me. Then she heaved a long sigh and said, “She told me all about it, and even offered to help me scam someone if I wanted to finally ‘grow up.’”
My throat was tight and my voice hoarse, but I asked anyway, “What did you say?”
She gulped her wine and then said, “I told her I was there to babysit, but I was never going to be like her.” She then took a bite of her salad and chewed for a few moments. Once she finished and wiped her mouth, she looked out across the ocean and said, “She dismissed me, but then that’s been the story of my life.”
I scooted my chair closer. I believed her. She was sexy and sweet all rolled into one, but I asked, “So you didn’t take any of Leah's pills?”
Her eyes widened and her face turned white. Then she said, “Absolutely not!”
I’d never trusted anyone easily, but I also wasn’t a fool. My gut told me Sarah was special, so I patted her knee and said, “I believe you.”
