AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thirty-One
Dean held his front door open, his words momentarily lost as Sarah stared up at him, a thick layer of sweat beading her forehead, and the late evening overly quiet behind her. “What’s happened?”
“Honestly?” She pushed past him, leaving him to once again wrestle with the idea of just how many people in these parts were comfortable moseying into his home. “I don’t know what happened. Only that I thought I was helping Ally, and she just flipped out at me for all my trouble.”
He pushed the door closed and followed her in, where she kicked off her shoes and sprawled across his couch. For a woman so hesitant to call herself his girlfriend, she sure acted like one. At least when it came to making herself comfortable in his space. “I think I’m going to need more to work with than you tried to help, and Ally flipped.”
“Just some out-of-town college boys, probably on some drunken road trip.” She flopped her elbow over her brow, as though blocking the room’s mellow light from her eyes, or maybe even just escaping having to look at him as she spoke. “They were being disgusting, and I told them as much. Except, Ally had her eye on one of them and seemed inordinately crushed when he did the predictable thing and bailed from Maynard’s without her.”
“Right.” Dean lifted her legs off the couch and squeezed in beside her, depositing her feet back on his lap. That she’d come here for his support and the casualness of this exchange provided something he’d craved his entire life, but been deprived of for just as long.
A short silence drew out, and she dropped her arm from her face and half-sat, staring at him. “You know something about this that I don’t, don’t you?”
“I do know something about this.” A slow grin tugged at his lips, just as her eyes narrowed into a scowl.
“And are you going to tell me?”
“Nope.”
She growled and flopped back onto the couch. “Fine. But why does it seem like I’m always in the dark on everything lately?”
He let out a sigh, more annoyed at himself than her. No doubt the “darkness” she referred to was in part about the mountain of secrets he consistently backed away from telling her. So now he was left with guilt piled on top of his annoyance. “Look, it’s not my place to tell you about Ally’s business, okay? What I will tell you, though, is to cut her some slack.”
“What about her cutting me some slack?” She turned to him again, her stare direct in a needling sort of scrutiny. “Why do people around here assume their tantrums and harsh words never bother me?”
“Because you generally don’t act like things bother you.” He shrugged.
Her stare held him, though the slight upward curl of her lips suggested she understood his point. “And what about when they do? What if, on the rare occasion, things do bother me?”
“You’re never shy about telling people what you think, Sarah.” He tucked his palm under the hem of her pant leg, rubbing her smooth skin, skin that had a gentle warmth snaking through his body, reminding him just how much he never got enough of this woman. “Maybe it’s time to establish some new rules. Start with asserting how you’d like people to behave around you.”
Her attention dropped to his hands now on her shins, and she took in an audible breath, her eyes fluttering shut, like she appreciated the attention on what would be tired muscles from hours of standing. “You know, there’s a certain responsibility that comes with being this town’s unfeeling robot.”
He gave an unintended scoff, one he restrained from becoming a full-bellied laugh. “I’m sure there is. Though, I guess you could always quit.”
“I know.” She let out a sigh, still seemingly enjoying the miniature massage, her eyes closed. “I know.”
“I get the feeling I’m not supposed to ask why you haven’t yet.”
She gave a tight laugh and flopped back, resting fully into his couch. “Because I’m an unfeeling robot, remember? See how this all works? It’s a vicious cycle.”
“But one you could stop.” He held his hand still, vying for more attention, or maybe another clue as to her motivations. “So, why haven’t you?”
She flung her eyes open and pinned him with a critical stare. “You speak from experience, do you?”
That stare of hers, daring him to come out with some truth too—about himself—a dare they both knew he wouldn’t take up.
He looked away, the strain across his chest growing, a thickness taking up space in his throat. Of all the people he’d ever known, she was the one he lied to most, even though she was someone he didn’t want to lie to at all. “Not experience. More like, it’s something I’m also hoping is possible.”
“Sounds like a story I’d like to hear.” Her gaze softened somewhat, hinting at empathy, though she’d probably deny having any at all.
He raised a brow, his silent way of telling her to dream on. “You’re not the only one who gets to be stubborn here. All I’m saying is, if you don’t like how people perceive you, maybe it’s time to shift their focus. Maybe shift a few of the things you’re doing too.”
“Please, tell me more, oh wise one.” She gave a genuine laugh, her gaze lighting upon him while she prodded his hand, signaling for the massage to continue.
He reached over and tapped a finger to her forehead, his way of acknowledging her silliness, something she seemed to unleash more and more around him these days. That levity something he, too, needed more of. Yet another laugh escaped her, and he fought to stay on topic and not lift her into his lap and distract her in other ways.
“You don’t flinch to accept the hard stuff. For one, your willingness to step aside with Blaine and Emilia. But when it comes to something that’s just for you, you hesitate, Sarah.” He rubbed her shin again, emphasizing his point and giving her what she’d asked for all at once. “Let Ally deal with Ally, and you deal with you, and I…” He leaned over and pulled her to his lips. “I’m more than happy to deal with you too.”
