“I don’t know,” she mumbled.
“I need to know, Chrissie. Do you realize how hurt and confused I was when I woke up and you weren’t there? Did I do something wrong last night that scared you?”
Chrissie gulped, and she shook her head.
“No, you didn’t nothing wrong.”
“Then what?”
For a moment, he thought she was going to answer. Then Chrissie slumped back in the seat, looking more worn out.
“I didn’t want to be rejected.”
“What?”
“I might have broken your defenses last night, but you would have them back up in the morning. And you would be telling me that this was a one-time thing, that our ages would get in the way, and you’re not going to pursue this any further.” She squeezed her eyes shut, and Forrest saw another tear falling. “I didn’t want to have my heart broken. I put my heart on my sleeve, and I knew it was going to get broken.”
Forrest stared. She actually thought he was going to say no more? Maybe he should have. But he couldn’t.
“You could have stayed and then found out what I really wanted to tell you. Then you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“I wanted to get myself more composed before I faced you. I know you’re going to say with my dad being your friend, and you being as old as him, are the reasons we can’t do this again. That it shouldn’t happen again.” Her voice broke. “I put myself in this position, and I panicked.”
Forrest could tell. And it was hurting to see her in pain. He shuffled over, pulling her into his arms.
“Chrissie, you little idiot.” He cupped her jaw. “You couldn’t have been more wrong.”
“What?”
He kissed her. Chrissie started, but then she relaxed into him. Forrest was aware that they weren’t alone, and people were probably watching them, but he didn’t care. He wanted to kiss her.
Chrissie was staring at him as he pulled back.
“That…that wasn’t what I expected.”
“You were expecting me to say this has to stop?”
“Well, yeah.” Then her eyes widened. “And you did this with Dad close by?”
“He already knows. And he’s okay with it.”
“What?”
“Well, sort of okay. He isn’t impressed with how things started, but he says he knows I will look after you properly. He trusts me to make you happy.”
Chrissie’s mouth was open. Forrest laughed and closed her mouth.
“You’re going to catch flies like that.”
“But…you…you’re not pushing me away?”
“I did contemplate it. But then you said you wanted me, and something broke. Everything I had been fighting just came forward, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to let you go.”
Chrissie arched an eyebrow.
“It didn’t have anything to do with the fact I said I would get someone else to take my virginity, did it?”
“That certainly made something snap. I didn’t want anyone else having you. As far as I was concerned, you’re mine.”