smiled.
“No. The fire alarm. Of course, only if it’s a false alarm. I’m not saying a fire would be good.” Great. Now I was rambling.
“Why? How could that be a good thing?” A crease formed between her brows.
“We already know our physical connection is great,” I started.
“Great?”
“I’ll rephrase. We both know our physical connection is insanely, freaking fantastic.” I paused. “That better?”
“That’ll do.” She chuckled.
“I really did plan for dinner tonight. Just dinner. Remember? I would have felt bad if I went back on what I’d told you.”
“That would’ve been my fault.” A seductive smile crossed her lips.
“Yeah. You’re right.” I received a playful push on the arm for my answer. “But it would have been mine, as well. I wanted to tell you some things about me, about my past, before we became more involved. There are some things you should know about me.”
“I’ve been hiding,” she blurted out.
I looked around. “Well, you’re awful at the game,” I said, laughing. “I think there’s counting involved, and…”
“I meant emotionally.” She bit her lip, then tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“Sorry. I thought you were kidding. I guess you want to go first?” I asked.
Her eyes crinkled at the corners. “I kind of charged in there, didn’t I? Do you mind?”
“Of course not. Ladies first.” I smiled to reassure her.
“We’ve talked about everything else for the past year, I guess I got a little excited to share.” She took my hand and gave a little squeeze. “Okay, I’m going to jump off the diving board now.”
She paused, and I nodded.
“When I referred to hiding, it’s probably pretty clear what I’ve been doing. It’s not a secret. I’m almost thirty, and I still live at home.”
“I thought you were twenty-eight?”
“Yes, as I said, almost thirty. Anyway, I didn’t know what I was doing until recently.”
“And that is?”
“I should have moved out a long time ago. Do you remember Angela?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“I accused her of using her parents to get what she wanted, but I’m no better. Angela used her parents for money; I used mine for emotional support. I’ve been scared to live on my own because I have a few insecurities I haven’t dealt with yet. When I’m with my parents, things are easy. But I know I need to work on my confidence, trusting I’ll be okay on my own. Their job should have been over years ago!”
“I’d bet they don’t think of you as a job.”
She smiled and said, “I guess not, but…I’ve been lonely, Todd.” Her beautiful blue eyes met mine, and my heart stopped for a moment. “The funny thing is, I didn’t realize it until I met you. I started to feel things even before we kissed the first time. That’s why I was so angry when you called me a mistake.”
A stab of guilt shot through my gut. “Sorry about that.”
“I’m not sorry. If I hadn’t been angry, we would have missed the classic paint fight.”
“I enjoyed the fight, but I liked the making-up part best,” I whispered in her ear.
***
Tiffany
NOW THAT I’D started, the floodgates flew wide open.
“Have you ever been betrayed?” I paused then added, “by someone you trusted?”
His eyes closed for a brief moment before he answered, “Yes.”
“I have also. The saddest part of the betrayal for me wasn’t the actual act. It was what followed.”
“What do you mean?”
“I dated
“No. The fire alarm. Of course, only if it’s a false alarm. I’m not saying a fire would be good.” Great. Now I was rambling.
“Why? How could that be a good thing?” A crease formed between her brows.
“We already know our physical connection is great,” I started.
“Great?”
“I’ll rephrase. We both know our physical connection is insanely, freaking fantastic.” I paused. “That better?”
“That’ll do.” She chuckled.
“I really did plan for dinner tonight. Just dinner. Remember? I would have felt bad if I went back on what I’d told you.”
“That would’ve been my fault.” A seductive smile crossed her lips.
“Yeah. You’re right.” I received a playful push on the arm for my answer. “But it would have been mine, as well. I wanted to tell you some things about me, about my past, before we became more involved. There are some things you should know about me.”
“I’ve been hiding,” she blurted out.
I looked around. “Well, you’re awful at the game,” I said, laughing. “I think there’s counting involved, and…”
“I meant emotionally.” She bit her lip, then tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“Sorry. I thought you were kidding. I guess you want to go first?” I asked.
Her eyes crinkled at the corners. “I kind of charged in there, didn’t I? Do you mind?”
“Of course not. Ladies first.” I smiled to reassure her.
“We’ve talked about everything else for the past year, I guess I got a little excited to share.” She took my hand and gave a little squeeze. “Okay, I’m going to jump off the diving board now.”
She paused, and I nodded.
“When I referred to hiding, it’s probably pretty clear what I’ve been doing. It’s not a secret. I’m almost thirty, and I still live at home.”
“I thought you were twenty-eight?”
“Yes, as I said, almost thirty. Anyway, I didn’t know what I was doing until recently.”
“And that is?”
“I should have moved out a long time ago. Do you remember Angela?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“I accused her of using her parents to get what she wanted, but I’m no better. Angela used her parents for money; I used mine for emotional support. I’ve been scared to live on my own because I have a few insecurities I haven’t dealt with yet. When I’m with my parents, things are easy. But I know I need to work on my confidence, trusting I’ll be okay on my own. Their job should have been over years ago!”
“I’d bet they don’t think of you as a job.”
She smiled and said, “I guess not, but…I’ve been lonely, Todd.” Her beautiful blue eyes met mine, and my heart stopped for a moment. “The funny thing is, I didn’t realize it until I met you. I started to feel things even before we kissed the first time. That’s why I was so angry when you called me a mistake.”
A stab of guilt shot through my gut. “Sorry about that.”
“I’m not sorry. If I hadn’t been angry, we would have missed the classic paint fight.”
“I enjoyed the fight, but I liked the making-up part best,” I whispered in her ear.
***
Tiffany
NOW THAT I’D started, the floodgates flew wide open.
“Have you ever been betrayed?” I paused then added, “by someone you trusted?”
His eyes closed for a brief moment before he answered, “Yes.”
“I have also. The saddest part of the betrayal for me wasn’t the actual act. It was what followed.”
“What do you mean?”
“I dated
Similar Books
