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My brow furrows as I try to make sense of what he’s saying.
“I’m not nothing.”
I still. “What?”
He gulps again, and his jaw trembles.
“Sky—”
“I know you’re straight. It was a mistake. You regret it. I-I get that, okay, but…but—”
My eyes widen as it all starts to piece together. What he’s implying.
But that’s not why he just lost his shit…right?
He shakes his head, sniffing.
Well, shit.
“I don’t…I don’t know…” His head snaps up and he looks around wildly, eyes red and bright with more unshed tears.
He looks trapped—desperate to find a way out of here—and hell, if it doesn’t break my heart.
His hand comes up to his neck, massaging the area just under the soft hollow at the base of his throat. He stares off at the distant horizon like he’s miles away from here, lost somewhere in his head.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen him clam up like this—he did it that first day in group when I laid into him—but this is the first time I’m looking,reallylooking.
He’s not shutting down.
He’s spiraling.
Wetting my lips, I say, “You’re right.”
He flinches and I quickly shake my head, backtracking. “No, no, I mean…you’re right to be upset and pissed off with me. I took the coward’s way out by avoiding you, acting like nothing happened.” I pause. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like…nothing?” It comes out like a question and I wince.Fuck, I’m so bad at this.
Skyler blinks a couple times and swallows tightly, brows knitting together in a frown. Movement draws my attention to his side, where he taps his fingers together just over the surface of the water.
I cock my head, watching him for a beat, and then I reach out, taking his hand in mine, stalling their frenzied movements.
Skyler freezes.
Lacing our fingers together, I squeeze tight, and look up to find him staring at me with big, wide brown eyes. There’s wariness there, but something else too—something deeper that I can’t put a name to. It it has my pulse quickening. My mouth drying.
Fuck. What am I doing?
Throat tight, I give him a small smile, hoping he doesn’t mistake the fear shining through my eyes as anything to do with him. He’s stunning and innocent and—
Goddamn,what’s wrong with me?
I try to pull free, but he squeezes tighter.
“Skyler,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m so sorry. You’re so young, and I just—” Regret burrows deeply between my brows. “I should have nev—”
He scowls, but there’s also a graveness to his eyes I don’t miss. “Don’t do that. I’m eighteen.”
I’m nodding before he even gets the full sentence out. “I know that. But—”
“So if that’s what you’re worried about, I—” His eyes widen, like a lightbulb just went off in his head. “Wait, you don’t think you took advantage of me, right?”
