Page 6 of Chance
Nothing good lasts forever, Evie.Don’t ever forget that.
“Christ, I must be terrifying you,” he groaned.
“I’m not scared of you, Chance.”Myself, yes.Not being enough for him, again yes.Of what he was doing, I doubted that was possible.
Dipping his head closer, he inhaled deeply, his blue eyes sparking like live electrical currents ran within the irises.“Give me your phone.”
“I left it in my apartment.”
Fingers flexing on my thighs again, he growled in displeasure.“You keep your phone with you at all times from now on, peaches.”
“Technology and I aren’t close friends,” I explained with a shrug, causing the soft throw that I was using like a shawl to slip off my shoulders.
It was an easier explanation than admitting that up until a matter of weeks before, I’d never owned or operated a smartphone.William hadn’t allowed me to have anything besides a desktop computer that was only set up for schoolwork.One time, I’d tried to set up an email account, thinking maybe I could use it to communicate with my sister throughout the year, but he shut that down before I was even finished creating the log-in.
Pulling his own phone from his pocket, Chance started typing.“Give me your number.I don’t think I can leave you without knowing I have a way to communicate with you today.As much as I want to call out of work, I have an inspector coming to sign off on the wiring we finished for our current largest project.”
I hesitated, not because I didn’t want to give him my number, but because I barely remembered it.Once I rattled it off, I was already missing the loss of one of his hands on me, my skin feeling unbearably chilled where his palm had been only moments before.It was going to physically hurt when he left, but if I told him that, he’d think I was a freak.Worse, a clingy freak.From what little I did know about guys, they weren’t fans of clingy girls.
With effort, he forced himself to stand then offered me his hand.Almost unconsciously, I took it and stood when he gave a firm tug.“I don’t like you being out here alone.And you’re cold.Don’t want you catching a chill.”
He caressed his thumb across my knuckles as he walked me toward the open door of apartment four.“You have plans for tonight?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m hoping we get to celebrate if Evy gets the job she’s interviewing for this afternoon.”
“Let me know, and I can meet up with you at Hannigans’.If not, maybe you might want to grab some dinner at Aggie’s with me.”
OMG.Was he asking me on a date?This felt surreal.
“I would like that,” I murmured, thankful my voice didn’t do something embarrassing like shake or crack.
Stopping outside my door, he leaned down, pressing his lips to my forehead.Every nerve in my body suddenly felt alive.Balling my hands into fists, I kept them at my sides so I wouldn’t grab hold of his flannel and cling to him like a baby koala.
“See you soon, peaches.”
Evie
All my nervousnessfor my first day of in-person classes was minuscule after meeting Chance.If it were possible for a person to float from giddiness, that was what I would have done as I parked my Jeep.
After decades of limited social contact, I both craved and feared being around people.While I was still in the hospital over the summer, during one of my sessions with my therapist, she told me that two things could be true at the same time, even if they were polar opposites.
Craving and fearing.Those were my two truths.
It had been the same with Chance.I’d craved his nearness, his touch, and more of those forehead kisses.I’d feared he’d think I was weird or a freak or clingy.Even more than that, I was scared he would give me all those things for a little longer and then take them all away.
Another truth my therapist had advised me on was my abandonment issues.
My therapist had a lot to say during my hospital stay following my failed deletion attempt.Things I needed to work through, traumas I wasn’t aware of because I’d been so secluded, even triggers that could potentially send me spiraling into the dark abyss again.
Healing mentally wasn’t the same as healing physical ailments.Time and medication alone couldn’t heal the severity of my mental wounds.But having Evy in my life was helping.Her presence was the balm my soul needed for my broken pieces to mend.
Evy and…maybe Chance too?
His texts throughout the day had only given me more hope.The first one had hit my phone just five minutes after he’d left me at my door.
Chance: Had to stop for fuel.Saw these peach-flavored candies.Now I’m gonna be tasting you all day.
He was going totasteme all day.But he hadn’t even kissed me.Not on the lips, at least.How could he know what I tasted like?
