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Deacon
Tiff’sasleeponthecouch when I let myself in—the front door this time—and I take a minute to enjoy the view. Her face is so peaceful when she sleeps; full lips parted just slightly, long lashes brushing against her cheeks. Wait… Are her eyes puffy?
Taking a seat on the cushion I brush a strand of hair behind her ear. “Hey, Sweet Girl. Why do you look like you’ve been crying?”
She blinks those red eyes several times, almost as if trying to clear her vision, then lurches up without warning and throws her arms around my neck. I wrap mine around her waist and hold her to me.
“I thought I could do it, but now I’m not so sure.” Her voice is muffled against my skin, but it’s the words themselves that make me shiver.
“You aren’t sure about what?”
“Everything. My job. This house. My friends.”
I feel a split second of relief when she doesn’t add me to the list, but it’s short lived since I feel her shaking in my arms, and the only logical conclusion for that is me. She must’ve gotten an earful today.
“I’m sorry.” I stroke her hair. “I never wanted this for you.”
“You never wanted me to be happily in love?” She sniffs, pulling away to look at me through watery eyes.
“Not with me. Not when I knew it would probably drive a wedge between you and everyone who cares about you.” I kiss her forehead.
“I thought Cade would object the loudest, and when he came around, I thought everyone else would too.”
“Cade knows firsthand it’s easy to change for the right woman. I knew once he accepted that you’re that woman for me he’d be fine. His parents too.”
She worries her lip between her teeth as she considers that. “Even my parents didn’t freak out as much as the girls did. I’m sure Cade’s parents helped with that, but still, they haven’t tried to lock me away like you thought they would.”
Maybe I’ll keep the lecture her dad gave me this afternoon to myself. After all, I’m still breathing, and she isn’t locked up, so it seems like they’re willing to give me a chance. I’ll have to thank my aunt and uncle for that later, since Tiff’s dad hinted they were the ones to convince him I wouldn’t screw it up.
“I’m sure everyone’s freaking out a little, some people are just better at hiding it than others. And we both knew I’d have to prove myself to a lot of people.” I wipe a stray tear off her cheek.
“I was starting to think they saw me as their equal. That they respected me enough to accept the choices I make.”
“It’s me they don’t respect, Tiff. Not you.” I place a soft kiss on her lips.
“There is noyouorme.” She shakes her head firmly. “There’s onlyus.”
My heart breaks a little bit when she says that, both because I know she means it, and I still don’t think I deserve it.
“Unfortunately, the good things about you don’t make up for the bad things about me.”
She rests her head against my chest with a heavy sigh. “I don’t think I want to be around them if they aren’t going to accept you.Us.”
“Don’t give up your friends for me, Tiff.”
“Are they really my friends if they don’t support me?”
“It’s not that simple.” I take her hand in mine and thread our fingers together. “You’re asking them to see a side of me they didn’t think existed, without any warning or grace period to get used to the idea. They’ve never even seen us together, so they’ve got no reason to believe my feelings for you extend beyond the closed doors we’ve been hiding behind.”
“They’ve got my word. And Cora’s. Plus Becca and Hailey said they suspected you were into me.”
“Did they?” I shift her so she’s sitting on my lap, her head still cradled against my chest. “I thought I was pretty good at hiding that.”
“Well, they did say it was subtle. Once they caught it the first time, they noticed it over and over, though.”
“What did they notice?”
“Just that you watch me. Withlonging.” She traps her lip between her teeth and blinks up at me, almost as if she’s unsure about telling me that bit.
