I See You, Charlotte (Ties That Bind Series Book 1) by Coralee Taylor

Author:Coralee Taylor [Taylor, Coralee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2024-03-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

Breathe in. And out.

What are three things I see?

I turn my head to the right and see Zach’s arm. He’s sweaty, and he has goosebumps from the breeze up here. I look a little further, and I see my car. To the left of my car, I see a green power box sticking out of the ground. I turn my head back to his chest, pressing my forehead against it.

I close my eyes. What are three things I hear?

I hear the steady beating of Zach’s heart. It’s rhythmic and centering. I hear the whistling of the wind through the leaves, which are just starting to turn crunchy. I hear the faint whooshing of cars going by on the main road down below.

Eyes still closed. What are the three body movements I can feel?

I feel the rise and fall of my chest as my breathing starts to even out. I roll my shoulders forward and backward. Finally, I unclench my fists from Zach’s shirt, slip my right hand underneath, and press my palm flat against his stomach. I ignore the sharp inhale of breath that comes from him, and I slowly slide my hand upward, feeling the slick ridges as I go. I stop when I get to his hard, smooth chest and rest my hand against the muscle that now pounds rapidly like a hummingbird’s wings.

He shudders at the touch, but I stay as I am. Eyes closed, forehead pressed against the middle of his chest, and my hand resting over his heart.

Breathe in. And out.

Again.

In and out.

Again.

“How do you feel, darlin’? Do you wanna talk about it?” Zach asks just above a whisper as he pulls back to bend down to eye level. He moves to sit beside me on the picnic table, our knees touching.

Do I want to talk about it? I’m not even really sure I understand it myself. But maybe it would be helpful just to tell someone what I’m feeling and see if an outside perspective might be able to shed some light on what I can do about it.

So, I tell him everything. From meeting Jason and falling hard and fast. How I was feeling jealous of Jade. Feeling guilty over Dean. How I was coping with losing my virginity. Jason’s parents hating me. Savvy partying without me. Weird things I’ve noticed with my mom lately, and my mixed feelings on seeing my dad tonight. My ongoing nightmares. My conflicted feelings regarding himself and finally about the week-long rendezvous my boyfriend is having with his ex, and I haven’t heard a fucking word from him.

We both remain silent for several minutes, sitting side by side. Zach lets out a puff of air and runs his hand through his hair. He turns to face me and grabs my hand, our eyes meet, and he starts to open his mouth, but no words come out.

I quirk a brow at him in silent question.

“That’s… a lot to take in, baby girl.” I nod my head in agreement and look down at my feet which are propped on the bench seat of the table.

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