Caught Looking by Tara Wyatt

Author:Tara Wyatt [Wyatt, Tara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tara Wyatt

Darkness had fallen while they’d been inside the restaurant, the very last vestiges of daylight now clinging to the horizon. Jake was hyperaware of Abby beside him as they walked slowly down the street, back toward the hotel. He was pleasantly full of bread and lasagna and tiramisu, and normally that would’ve been enough to put a smile on his face, but right now, he wasn’t smiling. All he could think about was how badly he wanted to take Abby’s hand in his. He wanted to comfort her, second only to wanting to tell off her family. But he couldn’t, so he settled for talking to her instead.

“I’m sorry that they don’t see you,” he said quietly, keeping his gaze on the street ahead. In his peripheral vision, he saw her head whip around to look at him.

“I…thanks. I’m used to it.” She didn’t say anything else. They walked in silence for a few minutes before he prodded, just a little more. Not only did he want to be her shoulder to lean on, he wanted her to know that how she felt with her family, how they saw her, wasn’t accurate. Not by a long shot.

“That must’ve been hard, growing up with that kind of dynamic.”

“It wasn’t easy. Nothing was ever good enough. I wasn’t girly enough for Mom to take much interest, and I wasn’t a boy, so I felt like I was always playing catch-up with Dad. I hoped that maybe…” Her voice trembled, just the tiniest bit, and she shook her head. He decided fuck it right then and there and took her hand in his. She gave it a squeeze, as though the two of them holding hands were the most natural thing in the world. Maybe because it was. “I hoped that if I was good at softball, if I could be successful at something he liked and approved of, than maybe I’d be good enough.”

He squeezed her hand back. “You are good enough. Fuck, Abby, you’re so much more than good enough. It pisses me off that they don’t see it. But if that’s the way it is, then it’s their loss, because you’re freaking awesome.”

She let out a soft little laugh that warmed him from the inside. “Thanks, Jake. Tonight was less shitty than I thought it would be, mostly because you were there. I’ve never felt like I belonged with my family, but with you there…I don’t know. I didn’t feel so out of place.” She stopped walking and met his eyes, turning to face him. “I’ve never felt out of place with you. Ever.”

“Except for now,” he said, reaching a hand up and tucking a stray tendril of hair behind her ear.

“Except for now.” She swallowed thickly, pressing her cheek into his touch. She let out a shaky breath. “What are we going to do?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

He pulled her in for a hug, not knowing what to say, not knowing what else do to. “I don’t know,” he sighed as she buried her face in his neck.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.