Read Online Hidden Scars by Amanda K. Byrne - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Amanda K. Byrne
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gaze slowly coming up to meet his, awareness clashing with confusion in her eyes. No fear. Not even a trace of it. Pink flushed her cheeks, but she kept her hand in his as she finished off her water.
He helped her off the stool, and she smiled up at him. His smile. The one she kept for him. A hot bolt of possessiveness lanced his gut, and he embraced it.
The mist was still hanging around, the streets deserted now that the game was over. Time to make his offer. Cupping her elbow, he waited for her startled jerk and stiffness. It didn’t come. Instead, she stopped, a curious expression on her face.
“It’s late.” His voice was quiet. “You can insist all you want you’ll be perfectly safe once you get on the bus, but I’d feel better if you’d let me give you a ride home.”
She stared up at him, lips parted. Mist slowly became rain, the drops growing fat and hitting the sidewalk with a slight patter. He was willing to stand there until she gave him the answer he was looking for, wet clothes and all. A drop hit her cheek, and he clenched his hands at his sides to keep from brushing his thumb over her cheek. Too soft. Too intimate.
Not yet
.
She wiped it away, frowning at the moisture it left behind on her fingers. Finally she nodded. “I’m out near Reed College,” she rasped.
Bonus points. It wasn’t too far out of his way.
He jolted as she threw her arms around his neck. She squeezed him in a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He wasn’t sure if she meant for the game or the ride, and he decided he didn’t care.
Chapter Seven
There was no reason for her to be nervous. Taylor was picking her up. Big woo. That didn’t stop Sara from pacing her living room, pausing every so often to peek through the sheer curtains covering the windows.
The closer it got to two, the more nervous she got. Why, oh why did she have to hug him? It had been the wrong move. His arms had been hesitant as they’d crept around her, the embrace loose. All that had been missing was the awkward pat on the back. There, there. Now get away.
It was really damn sad she’d gotten more out of the hug than she’d gotten from the handful of kisses she’d had over the last two years.
She couldn’t understand why he’d been surprised. He’d held her frickin’ hand in the bar. Friends didn’t hold hands. Or at least,
she
didn’t hold hands with her friends. Hadn’t since kindergarten. But the hug seemed to have thrown him, and she’d spent far too much time wondering if she’d been misinterpreting the little signs he’d given her.
Nerves had her checking, for the fifth time, that she’d remembered to stick her copy of
Invisible Wounds
in her purse. Her hands trembled as she glanced at the clock. Two minutes to go. He would be on time. It’s how he was.
She could do this. Hug aside, Taylor never would have asked if she wanted to attend the reading if he wasn’t interested in spending time with her. If it turned out she
had
been wrong, and the attraction was all on her end, she’d still have made a new friend. In the weeks they’d been hanging out, she’d found herself a lot more comfortable around him — and that was a huge step forward for her. The strong possibility she could actually have a normal, caring relationship someday, thanks to Taylor’s patience with her anxiety, far outweighed the disappointment that said relationship might not be with him.
The knock at the door had her springing off the sofa, heart slamming against her rib cage.
Breathe, you moron
. Air went in, air went out. She repeated the process twice more on her way to answer the door.
Taylor stood on her porch, hands tucked in his pockets. His lips tipped up in a quiet smile when he saw her, and she had to remind herself to
He helped her off the stool, and she smiled up at him. His smile. The one she kept for him. A hot bolt of possessiveness lanced his gut, and he embraced it.
The mist was still hanging around, the streets deserted now that the game was over. Time to make his offer. Cupping her elbow, he waited for her startled jerk and stiffness. It didn’t come. Instead, she stopped, a curious expression on her face.
“It’s late.” His voice was quiet. “You can insist all you want you’ll be perfectly safe once you get on the bus, but I’d feel better if you’d let me give you a ride home.”
She stared up at him, lips parted. Mist slowly became rain, the drops growing fat and hitting the sidewalk with a slight patter. He was willing to stand there until she gave him the answer he was looking for, wet clothes and all. A drop hit her cheek, and he clenched his hands at his sides to keep from brushing his thumb over her cheek. Too soft. Too intimate.
Not yet
.
She wiped it away, frowning at the moisture it left behind on her fingers. Finally she nodded. “I’m out near Reed College,” she rasped.
Bonus points. It wasn’t too far out of his way.
He jolted as she threw her arms around his neck. She squeezed him in a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He wasn’t sure if she meant for the game or the ride, and he decided he didn’t care.
Chapter Seven
There was no reason for her to be nervous. Taylor was picking her up. Big woo. That didn’t stop Sara from pacing her living room, pausing every so often to peek through the sheer curtains covering the windows.
The closer it got to two, the more nervous she got. Why, oh why did she have to hug him? It had been the wrong move. His arms had been hesitant as they’d crept around her, the embrace loose. All that had been missing was the awkward pat on the back. There, there. Now get away.
It was really damn sad she’d gotten more out of the hug than she’d gotten from the handful of kisses she’d had over the last two years.
She couldn’t understand why he’d been surprised. He’d held her frickin’ hand in the bar. Friends didn’t hold hands. Or at least,
she
didn’t hold hands with her friends. Hadn’t since kindergarten. But the hug seemed to have thrown him, and she’d spent far too much time wondering if she’d been misinterpreting the little signs he’d given her.
Nerves had her checking, for the fifth time, that she’d remembered to stick her copy of
Invisible Wounds
in her purse. Her hands trembled as she glanced at the clock. Two minutes to go. He would be on time. It’s how he was.
She could do this. Hug aside, Taylor never would have asked if she wanted to attend the reading if he wasn’t interested in spending time with her. If it turned out she
had
been wrong, and the attraction was all on her end, she’d still have made a new friend. In the weeks they’d been hanging out, she’d found herself a lot more comfortable around him — and that was a huge step forward for her. The strong possibility she could actually have a normal, caring relationship someday, thanks to Taylor’s patience with her anxiety, far outweighed the disappointment that said relationship might not be with him.
The knock at the door had her springing off the sofa, heart slamming against her rib cage.
Breathe, you moron
. Air went in, air went out. She repeated the process twice more on her way to answer the door.
Taylor stood on her porch, hands tucked in his pockets. His lips tipped up in a quiet smile when he saw her, and she had to remind herself to
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