Page 65 of Beneath the Surface

I lift my shoulder. “I’m not allowed to speak French?”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m just... surprised.”

“Well, maybe I like surprising you.”

“Hmm,” she hums. “What did you say?”

My foot brushes against hers again under the table, heat flaring in my veins when her leg wraps around mine.

“Doesn’t matter,” I say.

Her eyes narrow. “Do you speak any other languages?”

I nod. “Learning languages wasn’t a negotiation when I was growing up.”

My heart beats the fuck out of my chest because we’re dangerously close to wading into territory that I’m uncomfortable talking about.

“And where’d you grow up?” She bites her lip when she asks, her fingers tapping against her wrist like she’s nervous to ask.

Swallowing around the baseball-sized knot in my throat, I lean back in my chair, my eyes assessing her silently for long, stretched moments. I may not be able to give her everything, but I can give her this.

“Oregon,” I force out.

“Oh, that’s right.” She nods, pursing her lips.

A small grin tilts my lips as I watch her. She’s so fucking cute. “Go ahead.”

Her brows raise. “What do you mean?”

I wave my hand in the space between us. “Ask away. I can see you’re dying to know more.”

Her head cocks to the side. “And you’ll answer?”

I shrug. “Only one way to find out.”

We’re interrupted when the waiter brings our food, but she doesn’t miss a beat, her eyes gaining a fire and her shoulders straightening, looking like she’s preparing for battle now that I’ve given her the green light.

“Do your parents still live there, in Oregon?”

My chest pinches as I cut into my steak. “Yes.”

“Do you speak to them?”

Nausea rolls in my gut. “No.”

“How come?”

I place my fork and knife down, sadness tightening my muscles until I feel like they might snap. “Thatis a long story.”

She exhales and I can see the disappointment swirling in her eyes. I reach across the table and cover her hand with mine. “One that I’ll share, but not here.”

She nods, looking at the table. I tap the top of her fingers with mine, leaving my chair to lean halfway across the table. “Don’t hide from me, little bird.”

She looks back up and then meets me in the middle, brushing a kiss across my lips, lighting up my insides.

“Give me all your secrets,” she speaks against my lips. “I promise to keep them safe.”

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