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Still shaking her head she said, “I don’t care that it’s cold, don’t make a new one.”
“Baby, cold grilled cheese sucks. You gotta eat it when the cheese is still melty. Not to mention it’ll be soggy.”
“I don’t care.”
“Well I do.”
“It’s not cool to waste food, Easton,” she asserted.
No eye twitch, but a snappy tone.
She wasn’t pissed but she was determined. Nebraska didn’t give a shit about wasting food, or on a whole she probably did; no one with common decency liked to waste food. But this wasn’t about food insecurity or world hunger. It was way bigger than that.
You made me a sandwich?
Never…
She hadn’t finished what had never happened but I would bet my savings account it had to do with Charlie.
“I get you, Nebraska, but I’m not a fan of you eating a cold, soggy sandwich. So I’ll eat that one and make you a new one.”
She looked like she wanted to argue but she couldn’t without giving away more than she wanted to give.
She wanted to eat that cold sandwich because for some reason it meant something to her. But she wasn’t prepared to explain why.
“Fine,” she ungraciously gave in.
Total pain in the ass.
“Now kiss me before I roll out.”
A startled expression washed over her features.
It was cute as fuck. It was also something I never wanted to see again.
“I don’t think—”
“How about for the next twenty-four hours you stop thinking and start feeling? Turn this off.” I tapped the side of her head, slid my hand down to her neck, across her throat, shifted to the side so I could reach her chest, and flattened my palm over her heart. “And let this do its thing.”
I knew she got me when her heels dug into my calves and her hands still on my chest trembled.
“That’s not smart, Easton,” she whispered.
“Maybe not but that’s what I’m asking you to do. One day. Give it one day. If you don’t like what you feel, if you don’t like what I’m giving, if you can’t hack it, I’ll find another way.”
More fear when she asked, “Find another way?”
“To make you trust me. To prove to you I can keep you safe while we see if there’s something here worth exploring. To show you what it’s like to have someone give a shit if you’ve eaten dinner, where you’re going, if you’ll be safe doing it, and taking your back in a real way if you won’t be.”
In the short time I’d known Nebraska, I’d seen her take more than her fair share of hits. Life-altering hits that shook the foundation of everything she thought she knew. I’d seen her in pain, devastated, breaking down, dragging herself back together. I’d held her while she cried. I’d heard her moan sweet, I’d tasted her, I’d fucked her. We’d exchanged barbs and argued. I’d seen her scared and I’d thought I’d seen her terrified.
I had not. Not when the stark panic now marring her beautiful was true terror.
“But what if I like it, then what?” she whispered so quietly I had to strain to hear her.
That was the most honest, real question she’d ever asked me.
“Then we see where this goes.”
