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My cheeks flush at his words. This man, with his rough exterior and his quiet patience, is breaking down my walls faster than I can repair and rebuild them. It’s both terrifying and exhilarating. But at the same time, I hate the doubt creeping in. The same doubt that had me hiding in the kitchen when he visited the shop. Avoiding the gaze that followed my steps. I believed Mac was a good guy. What if I’m wrong about Thunder, too? What if I’m being naive and foolish, letting my guard down again?
Thunder is an imposing figure, in a biker jacket that only emphasizes his massive muscles and towering height. But he stares skyward, with a child’s curiosity and wonder. My heart pounds in my chest, and my breath comes in shallow gasps. Because right now, I have an impossible choice: take a chance on Thunder and hope that he won’t hurt me, or forever walk away from the possibility of love.
ChapterThree
Arabella
I pace the floor, surveying the apartment again, waiting for Thunder to arrive. My heart pounds, and I feel nauseous. He’s picking me up for lunch, and I don’t know what to expect. I glance in the mirror one more time, smoothing down my hair and straightening my shirt.
My lights flash to let me know someone has rung my doorbell. Taking a deep breath, I walk over and open the door. Thunder stands on the porch, grinning widely, spiking my adrenaline and causing the butterflies in my stomach to flutter. He’s just as handsome as I remember, with those piercing dark gray eyes that seem to see right through me and a charming grin that brings out the dimple in his chin. So captivating. I blush when he leans against the banister, crossing one ankle over the other. Checking me out while I steal a glance at his muscular arms and broad shoulders.
“Hey,” he says, after another sweep of my body with those captivating eyes. “Ready to go?”
I nod, grabbing my purse, and follow him out of the apartment. We walk towards the burger place he suggested. Thunder talks non-stop. His lips buzz with an excited, nervous energy that I recognize because it matches my own. Before I know it, I’m laughing at his silly jokes and funny stories. Enjoying his company more than I would’ve thought possible. I have to keep stopping him to remind him to look at me when he speaks. Not the easiest thing to do while we’re walking, but he doesn’t seem irritated. Instead, he’s apologetic.
We arrive at the burger place, The Silver Spoon, and he holds the door open for me. After the waitress seats us, he waits for me to lift my eyes from the menu before asking, “Are you okay?”
My brows push together. “About what?”
He looks around, and his eyes widen. I must have spoken too loudly… again. Even though I work hard to regulate the volume of my voice, when I’m nervous, all of my good work vanishes. Something else that would have infuriated Mac, but doesn’t bother Thunder at all. In fact, the opposite, when our eyes meet again, we both grin like kids who just finished the world’s funniest prank. After we settle, I repeat my question. I think everything is going well, but he’s tapping his fork against the table like a drummer in a rock band. His brows scrunched, and his eyes don’t quite meet mine.
“I keep messing up.” He reaches his hand towards mine, but then pulls back. Probably remembering the last time he reached out. “I’ve never been out with a deaf girl before. I don’t know what…”
“Have you been out with any girl?”
“It’s not the same…”
“Now, that’s offensive.”
I’m only slightly teasing, but his face crumples a bit. “I’m sorry.”
“Thunder,” this time I take his hand and give it a light squeeze. “It’s okay. Relax,” and when I tell him, my body relaxes as well. “The main thing you need to remember is to look at me when you speak. I actually have some residual hearing. So, in a quiet place, I can almost hear a low-pitched voice if it’s close to my ear. Otherwise, noises are muffled and garbled. Like being underwater and someone says something to you.”
“So, you really don’t mind—”
“—What, being deaf?”
Thunder’s eyes bulge, and his face turns gray. “That is not what I was going to ask. I was going to ask if you didn’t mind me messing things up all the time.”
My shoulders roll back, and I open my fists, smiling. “No, it’s all part of getting to know someone, right? If we’re going to be spending time with each other…” My words slow, and I bite my lip.
“No ifs.” He arches his brow. “I definitely want to spend more time with you. Maybe I could learn sign lang—” His words sends the blood rushing from my face. “What’s wrong?” he demands. Even though I can’t hear his voice, I see when his shoulders go back, and he looks around as if expecting an attacker.
“Nothing. Well, not really.” He swings his dark eyes at me, not allowing me to avoid answering. “M… my ex learned how to sign.” His brows furrow until I continue. “At first, I thought it was good, but it was just another way of controlling me. A way to make sure he knew everything I said and everything that was said to me.”
His eyes narrow, but I don’t continue the conversation. Mac caused enough uninvited intrusions into my life already. I refuse to take him along on this date. I smile when the waitress returns with our food, grateful for the reprieve—even more thankful that Thunder allowed it.
Thunder takes a bite and smiles at me. “So, what do you think?” he asks.
“It’s good,” I say, taking another bite of my burger. “But I still think my homemade ones are better.”
“Is that a challenge?” he grins, his eyes sparkling.
“Maybe,” I smirk back. “You’ll have to try them and find out.”
Thunder chuckles, and our conversation turns to lighter topics as we banter back and forth. He tells me about some of the crazy experiences he’s had while riding his motorcycle across the country, and I share some tidbits from my own life. My life isn’t as interesting as his, but he perches on the edge of his seat, hanging on to every word anyway.
When we finish our meal, Thunder leans close to me, his eyes locking onto mine. “I’m having a great time,” he says.
