My immediate urge was to say yes, but I held it back. “Try what?”
“Uh, touching you.”
I nearly dropped the mop. “Touching me?”
“Yeah, just to see if I would be afraid of it.”
I crossed my arms, resisting the urge to lean away from her. “I’m not interested in testing your fear.”
“I’m not either, but I promise I wouldn’t be doing this if Ididn’t have a reason. I think I can do it. I’ve been thinking about it all week, actually.”
Was that why she had been looking at me? I’d had no idea what it could be about, but I didn’t think it was this. When she told me that she had a thing against touching, I expected that to be how it was forever. Honestly, it was good for me that she didn’t want to touch me. It would make both of us safer in the end.
But that kind of fear wasn’t sustainable. And both of us knew that. Piper had come into town with the promise of changing things, and I had no doubt that this was included. I just didn’t realize I could ever be the one to help her.
“Why me?”
She looked down as she thought about it. “Because I do really trust you. And you might be the first person that I want to touch.”
The words hit me hard. She wantedmeout of all the other people she’d met?
“Has there ever been anyone else since it started?”
Her eyes met mine and she shook her head.
I didn’t understand this connection I had with her. It defied logic and reason.
And obviously, it was mutual.
“Okay.” It was all I could manage. I expected her to step closer, but she frowned.
Her cheeks darkened. “I want you to actually be okay with this. Don’t just say yes because you’re the first one I want to touch. I’ll figure it out if you say no.”
“I know.” I said it softly. “The answer is yes. Do whatever you want to me.”
“It’s just gonna be a brush of the hands.”
“Still.”
“Are you sure about this?”
I rolled up one of my flannel sleeves, offering my arm to her. It was the safest place for her to go. I figured she would touch me and move on.
For a long time, she stared at it, teeth sinking into her lip. Her knuckles turned white with how hard she clenched her fists. And I wondered if she was as truly prepared for this as she thought she was. I was about to call it off when she finally lifted her hand.
Her featherlight touch landed on the top of my wrist, right where one of the vine tattoos started.
I went rigid, determined not to spook her as she did her exploration. Piper was frozen, staring intensely at where her hand rested against my skin.
For a second I wondered if this would be the end of her touching me. It was a lot, even for her, to choose to touch someone. I had a feeling that all of the times before had been accidents, that they hadn’t been something she initiated.
“Are you okay?” I asked lowly.
Piper slowly nodded, eyes still transfixed on where she touched me. Her hand moved, tracing the vine to where my skin said “just breathe.” That had been one of the first things she noticed when we met, and it helped her then. I wondered if it was helping her now.
She traced the lines of it and my skin broke out in chills. I wondered if that alone would scare her off, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted it to or not, but she stayed there, still moving her fingers lightly against me.
Just this light touch felt like more than anything else I’d experienced in my life. I’d dated, had sex, done it all.
