AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nod.
He closes the small distance between us with one long stride, and I close my eyes. He slips his hand around my waist, the slide of it against the bodice of my blouse sends sparks up my side. I drop my head onto his shoulder and close my eyes. We move to the sound of the cicadas and our heartbeats. He presses a kiss to the top of my head and lays his cheek against it.
“This is the anniversary of the day we met,” he says
“I know.” I squeeze him tighter. “It’s my birthday. And my sisters, too. We were just two years apart.”
“I know.”
Of course he knows. Everyone does. My head starts to throb and I’m afraid I'm going to cry. “I don’t want to dance anymore.”
“Okay.” He lets me go.”Come here.” He wraps his big warm hand around mine and walks us over to one of the stone benches. He sits and tugs me down next to him, pulls me into his side and holds me. We sit in the quiet, and I take the warmth he’s giving me.
The loud beeping ring of my phone interrupts the quiet, and I pull it to see who it is. Duke’s name flashes big and bright on my screen. Carter shoots to his feet as if my body was a cactus he’d bumped into.
I decline the call and stand too. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He puts a hand on my back and rubs a soothing circle. It feels so good. I want him to never stop. But he does after only a few seconds. And I feel cold. And sad. And I’m so mad at myself.
“Did you eat anything?” he asks.
“No. I didn’t.”
“Come on. There’s not a lot I can do to make things different or better, but I can feed you. I stopped to get something special to make today.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to.”
“Thank you so much. It’s just what I needed.”
He places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly. “Let’s go inside. I’ll make dinner, and then we’ll get to work.” He smiles warmly at me. But he doesn’t take my hand or touch me again as we walk back inside.
And I fucking hate it.
24
Beth
Live Free
I round the corner to the block where Carter said he was waiting and breathe a sigh of relief when he’s the only person parked on the street. But he’s leaning against a black motorcycle. It’s one of the sleek ones, not like the Harleys I’m used to seeing around here.
I slow my stride and gradually come to a stop halfway down the street.
His head cocks to the side, he pushes off his perch, and walks to meet me where I stand.
“What do you think of her?” He jerks a thumb back towards the bike. I lean around him and inspect it again.
I look back at him and smile nervously.
“It’s very big. And uh—it looks kind of dangerous.”
He raises an eyebrow in scandalized surprised. “Don’t tell me you’ve never been on one.”
“Never will, either.”
“Don’t worry little darlin’, I’ll protect ya’.” He pulls his sunglasses off and crosses his arms over his chest and grins down at me.
