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“Thank you,” he grunted. “Let’s go walk Ginger and Snaps. On the way, you can tell me how you’re doing at maintaining your house.”
She frowned. Other than a few random clean spots, her house was mostly back to how it had been before he’d stayed with her. “I don’t want to.”
He chuckled and took her hand again.
Sabum came out of his office and looked down at their joined hands. “What is—why are you—are you two together?”
Jason hadn’t said anything about a relationship—not to her specifically. Not wanting to speak for him, she glanced at him, but he wasn’t even looking her way.
Suddenly, he pulled his hand away and shook his head. “Hannah’s just helping me get used to touching others.” His cheeks reddened. “You know, holding hands and... hugs. It’s all practice.”
Practice? Disappointment stabbed her in the gut, and she tucked her hands back into her pockets. Did he really only see her as practice? One minute she was sure he liked her and wanted to try a relationship and the next she wasn’t so sure.
“You know, this might just be—” Sabum started
—but Hannah was done listening. She needed some air.
She was probably overthinking things, just as she always did, but she knew one thing—she needed some space. If he had no real feelings for her, she was bound to get hurt.
“I should get going,” she said, slipping past both of them, making sure she didn’t bump into Jason.
“But the dogs . . .”
“It’s okay. I can do it alone. You’ve had a rough day already.”
15
Jason
Jason was the worst at reading women, but he was pretty sure something was bothering Hannah.
Sabum waved to get his attention and smiled for the first time that day. “I’ve got an idea for your next session.”
He looked at his phone, sure she would text him any second. “That’s great. Yeah, whatever you’d like.”
Sabum sighed. “Do you know why Hannah is upset?”
Jason looked up in surprise. “She is, isn’t she? I could tell something was wrong, but I don’t know what happened?”
“It is because I know Hannah, and I could tell she was upset. It’s all about the facial expressions. Be more careful in how you refer to her.”
He frowned to himself, rewinding their conversation in his mind. “About what?”
Sabum crossed his arms across his broad chest. “Did you or did you not refer to your relationship as practice? As if holding her hand and holding onto her didn’t mean anything?”
He swallowed hard as understanding flooded through him. “Yes, but I—”
“I think any woman would detest being referred to as practice. Surely, you feel something more for Hannah, or she would not be your exception.”
“My exception,” he said it more to himself, but the words rang true. Hannah was his exception.
“I think I need to go talk to her.”
“Probably. Oh, and make sure Hannah comes with you next time. She’s going to be part of my new plan.” The instructor returned to his office, leaving Jason in a stupor.
“Yes, sir,” he said mechanically.
Before Sabum’s office door closed, he hurried out to the parking lot, typing out a text as he walked.
