another day, Rog," his uncle sneered. "You can bet on it."
Roger said nothing to either of them , just continued to look through the papers. When he found what he was looking for he told the man a total. The man paid the money leaving Roger and Amy standing awkwardly.
"I'm sorry," Roger finally said.
Amy looked at him. "What on earth could you possibly be sorry for today?"
"For being weak. I'm sorry that I…can't be…" he shook his head and left without another word. She sat down in the chair and waited for him to be done. It was a long work day and when he finally emerged from the shop, all sweaty and tired looking, he stopped as if surprised to see her still there.
He nodded his head to the door , waited for her to follow him and locked it behind them. He held her door open and made the quick drive home. Once inside he was restless. He paced and seemed to keep rubbing his face so she tried her best to ignore him and make dinner. On their last trip to town, she bought some tea. Though he had raised his brow questionably at her, he said nothing about it.
She made a pot for sweet tea. It wasn't to spite him, she just missed it. He was still pacing the linoleum when someone knocked on the door. Roger and Amy both stopped and looked at each other.
His father was back.
"Stay in the kitchen," he ordered and went to the door. He was slow and meticulous as he unlocked the door and unhooked the latch. She saw his shoulders sag in relief. "Alex . H ey, man."
"Hey, Rog. You uh, left these. You never came to pick them up." Alex held some papers in his hand out for Roger.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot. Sorry." He peeked back at her. "Lot on my mind, ya know?"
"Yeah, I imagine," Alex said and waved at her from the door way. "Hi, Amy."
She gulped and waved back. Why the heck was he talking to her? She turned back into the kitchen, hearing their chatter. She thought about the best thing to do and decided to get th em both a glass of sweet tea.
Alex smiled and thanked her. Roger took it and watched her as she walked away. She tried to finish looking for something for dinner, but she couldn't stop making herself listen to Roger and Alex. Alex was asking him how things were going. Roger was telling him things were going great, but every time Alex tried to leave, Roger would stop him with a question.
Finally, he left and Roger made his way into the kitchen with both his and Alex's glasses of ice. He set them on the counter and looked at her. "I think Alex was checking up on me. Making sure that I hadn't beaten the hell out of you."
She jumped at his tone and his wording. He came at her slowly and grabbed her hand. "I'm making dinner," she protested as he dragged her away.
"No dinner," he answered and brought her to the front room. He looked at her and then pointedly looked at the door. Or…the door latch. It was unlocked. He looked back to her with resolve in his eyes. He pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair. One of his hands came to hold her face while the other rested on her back. He pulled back and leaned down to look her right in the eyes. "I was n't pretending, Amy. I wasn’t faking anything with you. You…changed me. You are everything I see when I think about anything good, and I want to know that you'll stay that way." He pressed his forehead to hers. "All the things that have been done to me, I'm used to it, but you...you're every bit the angel that I always knew you were. "
He l et the ha nd on her cheek pull her closer. She closed her eyes knowing he was going to kiss her, he was confessing that he felt something, but he once again just sat there and breathed her in. He made a move, but it was to kiss her cheek, so, so close to her mouth. "Thank you, Amy, for showing me what kindness looks like."
She sighed and felt her insides begin to quake with tears. And when he turned to go, she knew exactly what he was doing.
He was letting her go.
Chapter 11
She watched his back as he went into his bedroom and
Roger said nothing to either of them , just continued to look through the papers. When he found what he was looking for he told the man a total. The man paid the money leaving Roger and Amy standing awkwardly.
"I'm sorry," Roger finally said.
Amy looked at him. "What on earth could you possibly be sorry for today?"
"For being weak. I'm sorry that I…can't be…" he shook his head and left without another word. She sat down in the chair and waited for him to be done. It was a long work day and when he finally emerged from the shop, all sweaty and tired looking, he stopped as if surprised to see her still there.
He nodded his head to the door , waited for her to follow him and locked it behind them. He held her door open and made the quick drive home. Once inside he was restless. He paced and seemed to keep rubbing his face so she tried her best to ignore him and make dinner. On their last trip to town, she bought some tea. Though he had raised his brow questionably at her, he said nothing about it.
She made a pot for sweet tea. It wasn't to spite him, she just missed it. He was still pacing the linoleum when someone knocked on the door. Roger and Amy both stopped and looked at each other.
His father was back.
"Stay in the kitchen," he ordered and went to the door. He was slow and meticulous as he unlocked the door and unhooked the latch. She saw his shoulders sag in relief. "Alex . H ey, man."
"Hey, Rog. You uh, left these. You never came to pick them up." Alex held some papers in his hand out for Roger.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot. Sorry." He peeked back at her. "Lot on my mind, ya know?"
"Yeah, I imagine," Alex said and waved at her from the door way. "Hi, Amy."
She gulped and waved back. Why the heck was he talking to her? She turned back into the kitchen, hearing their chatter. She thought about the best thing to do and decided to get th em both a glass of sweet tea.
Alex smiled and thanked her. Roger took it and watched her as she walked away. She tried to finish looking for something for dinner, but she couldn't stop making herself listen to Roger and Alex. Alex was asking him how things were going. Roger was telling him things were going great, but every time Alex tried to leave, Roger would stop him with a question.
Finally, he left and Roger made his way into the kitchen with both his and Alex's glasses of ice. He set them on the counter and looked at her. "I think Alex was checking up on me. Making sure that I hadn't beaten the hell out of you."
She jumped at his tone and his wording. He came at her slowly and grabbed her hand. "I'm making dinner," she protested as he dragged her away.
"No dinner," he answered and brought her to the front room. He looked at her and then pointedly looked at the door. Or…the door latch. It was unlocked. He looked back to her with resolve in his eyes. He pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair. One of his hands came to hold her face while the other rested on her back. He pulled back and leaned down to look her right in the eyes. "I was n't pretending, Amy. I wasn’t faking anything with you. You…changed me. You are everything I see when I think about anything good, and I want to know that you'll stay that way." He pressed his forehead to hers. "All the things that have been done to me, I'm used to it, but you...you're every bit the angel that I always knew you were. "
He l et the ha nd on her cheek pull her closer. She closed her eyes knowing he was going to kiss her, he was confessing that he felt something, but he once again just sat there and breathed her in. He made a move, but it was to kiss her cheek, so, so close to her mouth. "Thank you, Amy, for showing me what kindness looks like."
She sighed and felt her insides begin to quake with tears. And when he turned to go, she knew exactly what he was doing.
He was letting her go.
Chapter 11
She watched his back as he went into his bedroom and
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