“I don’t want to bother you,” she protested.
“It’s too late for that,” he growled, the sound sinking into her bones, turning them to mush. “Text Ethan and tell him I’ll take care of you.”
Lia shivered at his words, every cell in her body sparkling with delight. “Really, it’s okay. I can ask one of the twins...”
“Is there a reason why you suddenly want to be rid of me?”
“I
don’t want to be rid of you,” she retorted in exasperation.
Paul frowned. “Is there a reason why you prefer going out with Ethan over me?”
“It’s not that I prefer Ethan’s company.”
“Then what is it?” Paul persisted.
“The thing is, I think you view me as a tad eccentric—”
“A tad,” he agreed, a teasing note in his voice.
Despite his attempt at levity, she remained earnest. “It’s just that taking you to where I live is intimate.”
All emotion vanished from his expression. “More intimate than what we did earlier?”
“For me, yes. Misty is my safe place. No matter what else changes in my life, she’s a constant, my refuge.” And being away from the camper, disconnected from the nomadic lifestyle for so many months, had caused a shift in her identity that left her feeling vulnerable and a bit lost.
“And I’m not welcome in your safe place.”
“No, I mean...” She scrambled to explain without causing further damage to their fragile rapport.
“But Ethan is?”
“It’s different with him,” Lia said.
“Different how?”
“We’re friends.”
“Friends.” His jaw worked as if he was grinding the word to dust.
“What I’m trying to say is that I’ve known him for months and we’ve talked about a lot of things.”
“Are these the sorts of things you don’t feel comfortable sharing with me?”
Lia thought about the differences between the two men. Ethan was more like a brother who accepted her oddities. Paul was a shining beacon of all things correct, perfect and gorgeous. From the start he’d been vocal about all her flaws and limitations. Lately she’d glimpsed grudging admiration for how she’d helped his grandfather. At the same time, Lia suspected if Paul hadn’t been so suspicious of her from the start, she might never have registered on his radar.
“Ethan sees me. He accepts who I am.”
“And you don’t think I do?”
When his fingers tightened, Lia realized they were still holding hands. Suddenly aware that they could be discovered by one of his family at any second, Lia tried to tug free.
“You have a bad opinion of me,” he declared, looking stunned.
“I don’t,” she countered.
“On the other hand, you have a high opinion of Ethan.”