“Yes, here you are,” he says, his voice dull and lacking any inflection.
And that’s it. I explode.
Jumping to my feet, I glower down at his shocked, slack face. “I’ve given you zero reasons to doubt me. I’m the one that should be upset and overly cautious! I’m the one that had my best friend and fiancé cheating right under my nose for months! Yet, here I am, with you, wanting to be with you, despite barely knowing you.”
Baxter slowly gets to his feet. “I’m sorry you were hurt. I…” he pauses, raking a hand through his messy curls and wincing when his fingers tangle on a knot. “You’re different from the women I normally date.”
It feels like he shot an arrow straight through my heart.
Yes, I am different.
For one thing, I’m an unemployed loser with only a few thousand dollars to my name and pretty much nothing waiting for me back home other than a lousy apartment and some half-dead plants. I’m not gorgeous, I’m not famous, and I’m… The tears come out of nowhere and, feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and lost, I let them fall.
His face quickly shifts through a myriad of emotions. Not a single one of them looks like anger or pity. Mostly, I see understanding and compassion.
When his arms go around me, I sag into his embrace, breathing in the warm, clean scent of him. The smell and feel of him helps calm and ground me. Sniffing, I pull back to look up at him. “I’m sorry,” I murmur.
Rough thumbs swipe under my eyes, dashing my tears away. “Jade, it’s okay. It’s okay to cry, to get angry, to curse, shout and even throw a few things.” His lips quirk into a small grin. “Just don’t throw things at me.”
I draw in a shuddering breath. “I would never!”
“Shhh… I was teasing. My timing isn’t always the best. I’m not good at giving comfort. I wish I was.”
Nestling into his chest again, I can feel the pounding of his heart under my cheek. “You’re doing great.”
His chuckle rumbles through him and I snuggle even closer, my arms wrapping around his lean waist.
Slowly, he eases us down onto the couch, my body atop his. It’s a small couch, we barely fit, and his feet hang over the armrest. Snug and feeling more relaxed by the second, I close my eyes, content to simply be held by him.