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“I am thankful for that. I’m also thankful you weren’t hurt. But that doesn’t mean you’re not hurting. You’re not fine.”
She rolled her eyes, the first sign he was finally affecting her in some way. “I said I was fine.”
They rarely argued. Even before his mishap with words, they usually got along. This was new. Refreshing, in a way.
He wanted to see her emotion. He wanted to get a rise out of her. He wanted to see her eyes roll and her lips press together in a thin line. Or hell, he even wanted to see her eyes fill up with tears. He just wanted to get more out of her than blank indifference. The past few months had been hell, getting nothing more than a lackadaisical attitude like they were only acquaintances.
“Nobody would be fine after something like that. You don’t have to pretend with me.”
Her lips pressed tightly together.
Yes. Give him more. Press those lips and get mad.
Then she inhaled as if she were attempting to hold her emotions from spilling out.
He took a step away from the table and stepped in her direction. No more hiding. He wanted more from her.
“Don’t.” Her bottom lip trembled. “Don’t come any closer.”
He paused. “Or what?”
“You should leave, Jaxson.”
Her eyes started to sparkle like a shimmering lake. “So you can break down alone? What kind of friend would that make me?”
A tear slid down her cheek.
Damn. He had asked for this. Now that he was seeing it, it gutted him to straight to the core.
The sobs started as soon as his arms wrapped around her slender frame. For once in her life, Mia was letting down her guard in front of him. Sure, he’d seen her cry, but never like this. Not deep, wrenching sobs that tore his heart to shreds. Although it wasn’t the reaction he had been hoping for, he’d take it. Because all he wanted to do was comfort her. Make her see she wasn’t alone. She was never alone.
She clung to him, gripping the back of his suit as her head nestled into his chest. He felt the tears and her pain as it soaked the front of his shirt.
“Let it out, Mia. It’s okay not to be okay.”
“I was so scared. I hate feeling that way.”
They stood like that for the longest time until her tears abated and nothing but silence filled the room. He was afraid to speak. Because the moment she realized she was still in his arms, she’d pull away, and he wasn’t ready to lose her. To lose the wonderful feeling of holding her.
“Do you really think it’s beautiful?”
His grip around her tightened, fearful she would pull away since she decided to break the silence. But she didn’t move. She waited for him to answer her question. A question that confused him. What was she talking about?
“Do I think what is beautiful?”
She lifted her head. Tear stains marred her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying so hard, the tip of her nose a rosy red. “My drawing? Do you think it’s beautiful?”
“I do. I’ve never lied to you before. I wouldn’t start now.”
A whisper of a smile touched her lips. “I like to draw. Pretend…pretend I can create designs that people might wear someday.”
Interesting how she hesitated on the wordpretendas if she were admitting in her own way she did pretend—about so many things.
What was she talking about? She created designs all the time at work. Some of the costumes she created were gorgeous. He wasn’t a huge fan of plays, but he’d been to a few to support Mia. She always displayed the most brilliant smile when he showed up to one of the productions. Gabby as well.
“You can do anything you put your mind to, Mia Carter.”
She should have more faith in herself. Jaxson had all the faith in her.
