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It’s painful to admit the truth, but the more I speak it, the more I get hit with reality. Before the accident, I was used to men throwing themselves at me, and now… Now, they barely look at me. They don’t ask me for my number, they don’t take me out on dates. They always approach me with sex on their minds. I’m not naïve to believe that every guy doesn’t want sex, but they don’t look at me as if I’m wife material or want to pursue a relationship.
I didn’t want to talk about my pain, but the tears flow down my cheeks. He grabs me by the shoulders, and I place my face in my palms, not letting him see the shame written on my face. He lifts my chin, staring into my watery eyes as he uses the pads of his thumbs to wipe the tears, and his eyes travel down to my lips. For a second, I think he’s going to kiss me.
“For what it’s worth, to me you’re the most beautiful thing on the planet.” His smile is genuine.
I fold my arms across my chest. “Thanks, but you don’t have to say things to make me feel better about myself.”
He grips my chin tight, gritting his teeth. “Do I look like a man who lies about how he feels?”
“No.” I giggle. “I’m not going to lie, Conner deserved it.”
“He did. I need to call my publicist tomorrow morning so it won’t be on the front of the cover of a tabloid.” He wraps his arms around my shoulders, tucking me close to him. I enjoy the warmth of his body, and he smells so good. Laundry detergent and soap.
“He probably doesn’t know who you are,” I utter.
“Probably. You want to go to a burger joint? I’m starving.”
I should say no, but after he stood up for me, the least I can do is eat with him. Plus, I don’t have anything to do. For once, I’m not in the mood to go home, and come to think of it, when I’m with Atlas my bad mood simply evaporates. I’m glad he came to my rescue, and I really want to spend time with him.
“Sure. As long as you can find me a place with the greasiest food.”
Atlas orders our food, finds us a seat next to the wide window, and I watch people strolling back and forth on the concrete with their phones glued to their hands. The clouds in the sky are gray, hovering over the sun, making the sky appear darker.
Atlas sets my burger, fries, and my large cup of Dr. Pepper in front of me. I search through the burger, making sure there aren’t any pickles in it. Sure enough, there are, so I pick them off and set them to the side. He does the same with his onions.
I bite into the burger, and the meat and cheese melts in my mouth. He said I would like it and boy oh boy, he wasn’t lying.
“This is so good.” I moan loudly.
Atlas stares at me with heat in his eyes before he clears his throat. “If you don’t want me to fuck you again, you’re not being very convincing.”
I toss my napkin at him. “Shut up.”
“I’m assuming burgers are your favorite food,” he states in between bites.
I angle my head as I take another chunk of my burger. “How did you figure that?”
“Because your eyes lit up when I mentioned it.”
“How did you know I was at the bar?” I ask.
“Jasper. He asked Ember for me. I knew you weren’t going to let me know your location.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I know.” He grins.
I glance out the wide windows. Suddenly rain beats against it, fogging the glass. My shoulders tense, and my anxiety climbs in my chest, so I tear my eyes away from it. My hands tremble and sweat decorates my face.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“I hate rainy days,” I tell him, placing my hands over one of his.
I don’t know if I can tell him without feeling stupid.
“Because of the accident,” he confirms.
He strokes my shoulder with his free hand like I’m a wounded animal. “Are you okay?”
