Page 42 of Secrets Hidden In The Glass

He snagged the hem of her jacket and nudged her closer. “You look me in the eyes and tell me this is what you really want and I’ll let it go. You tell me this whole conversation isn’t about you being afraid and I’ll never mention it again.”

Tears filled her eyes as she stared into his gaze, because she couldn’t.

“Anytime you want, you go ahead and tell me we’re just buddies from here on out.”

Confusion swirled as she felt her lower lip tremble and she looked down.

“That’s what I thought.” He settled his thumb under her chin and guided it up until they made eye contact. “What’s going on, Callie?”

She shrugged, not quite sure how to tell him about her epiphany while she’d stared at his pictures on the mantel. How could she possibly explain that she’d been ready to throw caution to the wind for the first time in her life or confess that she’d turned an abrupt about-face when the fear of what might happen if she carved out a space in her life for him became too much? “I just—I just…” she trailed off when she couldn’t find the words.

“I want to be with you. I want us to try.”

“I can’t stay so I don’t see the point.”

“Maybe you can and maybe you can’t.”

She shook her head. “My life is in New York. In less than two months I go back.”

“Okay. But we have the next few weeks.”

And that’s what she was terrified of—weeks to grow closer—weeks to fall in love. Because with Nate she could. “I want to be fair to both of us.”

“I don’t see how shying away from the way we click is fair to either one of us.” He inched her toward him and touched his lips to hers.

She closed her eyes, surrendering far too easily.

He moved in again with more pressure.

She gripped the edges of his jacket and pulled him closer.

He deepened the kiss and slid his hands down the back of her fleece, then once over her butt before he drew away. “Will you try with me?”

She sighed.

“Please don’t walk away. Not yet.”

She held his gaze, knowing that the right thing to do was to say no.

“We’ll take things a day at a time.”

“I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want either one of us to hurt.”

“A day at a time, Callie. That’s all I’m asking for.”

There was something about his words. A day at a time seemed less daunting—like something she could easily manage and walk away from. “We can give it a try,” she conceded.

“Come here.” He wrapped her up in a tight hug.

She held on, pressing her face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his aftershave.

“This is going to be good.”

She nodded, well aware that what he said was true. Because what they had already was good. “I’m sorry, Nate.”

“Things are fine,” he said, playing with her hair. “We worked it out.”

“I’m sorry anyway.”