“You don’t need to tuck yourself away because you think you’re intruding,” he says, softer now, almost careful. “You’re not. Not with them. Not with me.”
His words land heavier than I’m ready for, heat rushing to my cheeks. My lips part, but nothing comes out, because all I can do is watch him shift his weight, clearing his throat like he’s trying to swallow back something raw.
“Stay at my place,” he says finally. The words are simple, but they feel like they crack something open in my chest. “It’s safe. And I’d… I’d feel better knowin’ you weren’t out there alone.”
For the first time all night, he doesn’t look away.
reed
. . .
Fuck.
I offered for her to stay with me like a complete idiot. But the thought of her being alone in a town she doesn’t know that well makes my stomach twist.
The second the words left my mouth, my gut clenched. I don’t do this. I don’t invite anyone into my space, into the four walls that have been nothing but silence and shadow since the accident.
I’ve secluded myself in solitude, only communicating with my brothers. Who would want to talk to a freak like me? Who would want to start a family with someone who has baggage and scars like mine that run deep?
I don’t let anyone in because people are quick to see my image, never giving me a chance to show them who I really am, who I want to be, to love someone unconditionally.
Unfortunately, people are quick to judge others based on appearance. One glance at me, and they see a man who doesn’t meet their standards.
A monster. Ugly.
I circle back to the thought that my homeisn’t meant for company—it’s where I disappear, where the weight presses hardest.
But I can’t take it back. Not when she’s looking at me like that.
She looks like the sunrise I thought I’d never see again.
So fucking beautiful.
“Are you sure?” she asks, taking me out of my daze.
My throat feels tight, but I nod anyway. “Yeah,” I manage, fiddling with the glass cups underneath the bar. “It’s fine. Let me clean up here, and I’ll take you over. You can get settled and…” I clear my throat, buying time, hiding my nerves. “…if you want, we can go over your content stuff.”
Her whole face lights up with an essence of beauty that makes my heart constrict.
Her bright smile spreads quickly, effortlessly, and it’s like someone dragged the sun into this dim bar. Her blue eyes light up, catching the glow of the Edison bulbs strung overhead. She leans forward just slightly, her blonde hair falling over her shoulder, and I swear the Earth stops spinning off its axis forher.
I’ve seen beautiful women before, sure, but not likethis.
She radiates warmth in a way that feels foreign, dangerous. Sunshine bleeding into the cracks I’ve spent years patching shut.
I grip the rag tighter, my knuckles aching as the scar tissue pulls beneath my sleeve. The itch flares sharp and unrelenting, the pain crawling up my arm. My hand stills against the counter, but my eyes don’t leave her.
I drink her in like a starving man.
The curve of her rosy cheeks where the light hits, the soft mauve gloss on her plump lips shining when she pressesthem together. Her lashes flutter as she glances down and then up again, catching me staring.
Her laugh bubbles out of her a second later, bright and carefree, as if she’s not afraid to take up space. Hearing her laugh? Yeah, that’s something I could listen to and never get tired of hearing.
Fuck, I’m in awe.
I’m not supposed to be. But I am.
Around us, the bar hums with leftover noise: distant laughter, the clink of a glass somewhere down the room. But it all blurs, fading into nothing.
