Page 66 of As They Are
“That’s probably a better use of my time.” She stretched her shoulders, grimacing as she did so. “Dammit. I went too hard on that.”
“Come here,” I said. She blinked, but she did what I asked. I put my hands on her shoulders and pressed in. “You carry your tension here, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Smashing things helps relieve it sometimes.”
“There are other ways, you know.”
“Like what? Bottling it up inside until I explode?”
“Nope.” I pressed harder and rubbed circles into her tight muscles.
“Fuck,” she said. “That feels good.”
My body heated at the words, and I had to focus on my motions and nothing else. It was too easy to imagine this in a very different connotation. Her shoulders were warm under my hands, and I resisted the urge to pull her closer.
I recited my rules in my head. I’d need to put it on the fridge at this point to keep from breaking them.
Wren’s body finally loosened as I worked on her. Her tension was not only in her neck, but all the way down her back. I got to touch far more than I should have, but eventually, she was like putty in my hands.
“If the doctor thing doesn’t work out,” she said when I finally pulled away, “you could be a masseuse.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Her eyes met mine, and for a long time, she held my gaze. I had no idea what she was thinking, but I knew I was thinking of how it felt for me to touch her.
“The library?” I asked, hoping to get both of us back on track.
“Right. Let me show you.”
I followed her as she walked through. Even now, this place felt newer, thanks to the lights being turned on. But her plan was incredible. She was planning to make community spaces and also leave plenty of places to keep books. I saw her shine return as she talked about it, and by the time we were downstairs, she was her usual self again.
“I can’t wait to see it,” I said. “This is better than I ever imagined it.”
“Hopefully, the town likes it too. I know some small towns are resistant to change.”
“Some are, but not this one. The library isgoodchange, and all of them know you’ll do it right.”
She turned and gave me the same full-on smile that I’d seen when I’d first met her, and it made my heart skip a beat. I hadn’t seen it when she’d been on camera, which made it feel like it was all for me.
“All right, you’ve made me feel better,” Wren said. “And now I have something to show you.”
“What?”
“You like the history of the town, right? There’s a reason I ended in the kids’ section.”
Wren pulled out a box from one of the corners. She flipped it open and revealed colorful masks and decorations.
“Are these puppets?” I asked, pulling one out.
“Among other things,” she replied as she grabbed a dragon mask. “I think they were used for story time.”
“If only I’d been here.” I pulled it from her and put it over my face. “Would I be a scary dragon?”
It was easier to look her in the eye with protection, but she didn’t let me hide for long.
“I think you’d do much better as the hero.” Her hand gently pulled the mask away and her eyes met mine again. Unfiltered. “That’s better.”
All I could do was stare at her and wonder how she was real. She didn’t move away, her hand still on my wrist. I would have given anything to know what she was thinking.
