Page 185 of The Way the Heart Breaks: Jade’s Story

He holds open my boot, and I shove my foot into it. He laces it up and grabs the other. Before I can shove my foot into that one, he grabs my ankle and holds up my foot.

“So tiny.”

He holds his hand up to it and laughs when he sees his hands are bigger than my feet.

“My feet are not tiny. I wear a seven and a half. Pretty average,” I say

He laces my shoe, moves up, and stands, towering over me. “You’re fucking perfect, Jade.”

He steps back, nose flaring just a bit, and holds up his camera. “You ready?”

“For what?”

“To show me somewhere beautiful.”

“Here?” I ask.

“Something tells me there’s no more beautiful place than the one we’re standing in the middle of.” He scrubs a hand over his head and smiles. “I would love to get some good shots, and if we’re not finding anything, we go down into town and explore a different place. I hear you field hockey players love those stairs at the Glen.”

“Har har har.” I roll my eyes. “Hell will freeze over before I will do those stairs on purpose on a day I am not required to.” I open the door and step out onto the porch.

“I wouldn’t make you walk them, pretty girl. I’d give you a piggyback ride all the way up ’em.”

“Oh, now I’ve got to put that on my list of things I wanna do with Tommy Lane.” I laugh.

“Do you have a list?”

I cringe. “Umm, yeah. Let’s forget I ever said that.”

“Oh, hell no.” He laughs. “I just wanna know if it’s actually written down or in your head, like my list of all the things I wanna do with Jade Ross is stored.” Ha takes my hand and squeezes it.

“Sometimes I don’t know if you’re really that sweet, or if you’re just trying to stay in my good graces.”

“Two things can be true, can they not?” he asks.

“Give me a minute to try to figure out a way to argue that.” I laugh.

“I’ll give you all the time you need.”

“You said something like that last night. You trying to tell me you’re a patient man, Tommy Lane?” I ask as I push a branch out of the way so we can step into the woods.

“Never thought of myself that way. Never thought of myself in the opposite way, either. I just know that with you, no time feels wasted. It all feels very necessary.” He chuckles. “I know how fucked up that sounds, but it is what it is.”

“It is what it is. I like that.” I laugh.

“All right, pretty girl. Tell me where you’re taking me.”

I quietly consider if I want to keep that part of me to myself longer, or if I want to make up a story about a place that means so much to me.

I trust him.

I, trust, him.

“Can I ask you a question first?”

“Of course you can ask me anything.”

“How much do you know about me? I mean...”