Page 90 of The Fast Lane
The moment stretched before he gave me a small, crooked smile. “What I want is to get you back to the hotel, safe and sound.”
My whole body drooped in disappointment. “So, no?”
“I didn’t say that, did I?” He took my hand and tugged so I’d start walking again.
“So, you do?”
With a long-suffering sigh I’d heard my father use with my mother on many, many occasions, he shook his head. “I think I am losing my mind.”
“Don’t do that. I like your mind.” There were other things I liked about Theo. I should tell him. “And your hair. I want to run my fingers through it so badly. You have that one piece that falls in your eyes, and I have to sit on my hands sometimes, so I don’t reach over and fix it. So, it’s probably best you wear your baseball cap around me unless you’d like to be mauled one day. Oh, except don’t wear it backwards, okay?”
Theo shot me a bewildered look. “Why?”
“I love it when you wear your hat backwards. It’s hot. You’re hot enough without trying to tempt me. It’s not fair.”
He made a funny, strangled sound. “Got it. No backwards hat.”
“Well, not unless you want me to do something about it.” I hip-bumped him. “If you know what I mean.”
Theo huffed a laugh.
“I like your hands, too. How they’re big and gentle, and I love when you make that little circle with your thumb when you hold my hand. I dream about that sometimes, too.” I slapped a hand on my mouth and mumbled out, “I shouldn’t tell you that, huh?”
“Please go on. I’m enjoying this.”
I pulled my hand down. “Alright. I like that your tummy’s a little soft because it makes for such great cuddling. I mean, I imagine it does. We’ve never cuddled. At least on purpose, I guess. But I want you to know I am available to give it a try.” I grinned proudly like I’d just volunteered to serve my country.
“That’s good to know.”
“Ellie says you don’t look like you eat caveman food or deadlift cars and that’s a good thing because it means you’d rather spend time with people and that’s hot.” I paused for a breath. “’Cause you’re hot.”
“You mentioned that.”
“It bears repeating.” I stopped and frowned, sure I’d seen that same garbage can in front of that same store front already. “Are we lost?”
“No, we’ve walked around the block about three times now. You seemed like you wanted to talk.”
“Oh. Good.” We started walking again, his hand still wrapped around mine. “I like how you’re always kind and…and whenever I need you, you come. You don’t ask questions. You don’t make me feel like I’m broken. Mom, Dad, everyone, even the boys sometimes, always seem like they’re waiting for me to have a breakdown. I mean, sure, I have epilepsy. Guess what? It’s not a death sentence. Lots of people live with epilepsy and have active, normal lives. I know they care but it’s suffocating sometimes. I hate that I make them worry.”
“It’s hard to see someone you love go through hard things,” Theo said quietly. “We want to protect them, keep them safe.”
“Yeah, I guess.” I sighed and then tried to hide a yawn.
“You tired?”
I leaned my head against his arm as we walked, loving the feel of his skin on my cheek. “I guess so.”
We were back at the motel in two minutes. Theo held my hand all the way to our neighboring rooms.
I turned to him. “Mostly, I think something inside me recognizes something inside you, and when I’m with you, there’s excitement, sure, but there’s this feeling of…” I shook my head, frowning. “I don’t know, home? Like you’re home, a safe place to land. You’re my comfort person.”
Those blue eyes stared at me so intensely, it felt like a caress. He cupped my cheeks and tilted my head. My heart dipped to my toes.
“Are you going to kiss me now?” I asked.
“No.”
“I would really like you to.”