Page 44 of Somebody to Save
“I’m prepared.”
She stared at me, eyes intense, like she was waiting for me to crack. Except I had no intention of cracking. I knew how unconventional this was. I understood that our age gap would draw questions. But I’d never felt such an intense pull to someone else before. Like my universe was off-kilter until I met her, and now, she was the star I orbited.
Finally, when I was sure she was trying to bore a hole through the center of my head with just the intensity of her stare, she nodded, then reached for the lemonade I’d brought.
Accepting my peace offering, I smiled a little to myself. It was a good step in the right direction.
TWENTY-ONE
FREAKING OUT
Addison
I was foldingthe last tablecloth when I felt him behind me. It was bizarre how I didn’t have to look to know Beckett had entered the dining room.
He’d left an hour ago to take my grandmothers home so I could clean up from our dinner. He’d offered, and they both agreed, so who was I to argue? Although it was a strange feeling to not only be offered help but to accept it. Being used to doing it all myself, I was at a loss when he’d thrown out the idea.
I set the tablecloth in the plastic bin and snapped it shut just as his arms snaked around my stomach. Letting out a contented sigh, I let myself fall into his embrace and closed my eyes. Exhaustion was creeping in, and Beckett’s arms felt too good.
“Today was amazing, baby girl,” he murmured against my neck, brushing a kiss beneath my ear. “But I’m not surprised. Everything you do is amazing.”
“Beckett,” I chastised, and I could feel his laugh across my skin.
“Don’t do that,” he hummed. “I know you can’t see it, butyou’re like a light to everyone around you. Like sunshine wrapped up in a little pink package.”
His words settled in my chest, directly next to my heart, and I believed him. That he saw me that way, and it sounded so good.
Spinning in his arms, I flattened my hands against his chest and pushed up onto my toes to kiss him. We’d been apart for a few days, so my body was screaming at me to deepen the kiss.
But we couldn’t. Not in the middle of the dining room when my boss was still walking around, and residents were bound to wander in and out.
Pulling back, I glanced at the boxes over my shoulder. “Help me with these?”
“Of course.”
I took one box, and Beckett grabbed the other two. I led us down the hallway, into my office, and through to my supply closet. I shoved the boxes into their designated spot and wiped my hands on my pants.
When I stood, Beckett was leaning against my desk, arms crossed and staring at me with a little smile tilting his lips. It was almost like I could see the thoughts flitting behind his eyes.
I flicked off the light and closed the closet door behind me. One small step, and I stood in front of Beckett, worrying my lip between my teeth as I contemplated my next question. A question I’d been dying to ask since I saw him and Nana talking earlier this evening.
He reached forward and tugged my lower lip free, kissing it carefully before he pulled back way too quickly.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he instructed, and I crossed my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes.
“What were you and Nana talking about? It looked like a tense conversation.”
“You,” he answered simply, and I tilted my head, silently requesting that he expand on his non-answer. Sighing, he ran his hands down my arms, and I dropped them to my sides so he could intertwine our fingers. “She voiced some of her concerns.”
I cringed, and an uneasy feeling unfolded in my gut. We were just getting to know each other, but I thought it was going pretty well so far. And what I didn’t need was Nana butting in. I knew she meant well, but she was hard-headed and didn’t hide her opinions.
They were admirable traits, but she also still saw me as a child sometimes. The scared five-year-old who just lost her parents, her best friends in the whole world, and couldn’t sleep in her own bed for a year. The child who woke up screaming because of the nightmares.
But I was a full-grown adult woman who was fiercely independent and knew what she wanted. Even if I wasn’t always the best at vocalizing it.
“I’m so sorry. I know she can be a little difficult, especially with her questions in the car earlier, but she means well.”
“I know, baby girl. I know,” he said, squeezing my hands. “That much is obvious. They love you a lot.”
