Status: Read, Stay with me... Please!
Look at Me
21
Paige’s eyes were glued to the cuts along Hayden’s face. She saw them, and the way his body had curled inward when he talked and she knew. Someone had hurt him. Someone had been hurting him for a long time. And if the blood was anything to go by, he had finally fought back.
She inched closer until she was sitting beside Hayden at the foot of the bed. Then she hesitantly put her hand on his and said, “It’s over now, isn’t it. They can’t touch you anymore.”
Hayden’s hand wrapped almost convulsively around hers as he replied, “No, not anymore.”
Paige bit her lip and then asked softly, “Do you want to talk about it?’
***
Paige was so close. Hayden could hear the whisper of her breath, he could feel the warmth of her skin against his own. And he wanted to tell her, but at the same time he didn’t. Because it was selfish wasn’t it, to unload all the awfulness inside himself on Paige. He should protect her from the things she shouldn’t know. Like the way it felt to be shoved into a wall or pulled up off the ground by your hair. Wasn’t it enough that she knew he had a difficult past? Wasn’t it enough that it was over now?
“Do you mind if I don’t,” he asked.
She shook her head slowly and said, “No. Sometimes it‘s easier to ignore something. Sometimes you just NEED to pretend like it didn’t happen.”
Hayden had to restrain himself from wrapping his arms around her. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, and tell her he loved her more then anything. Because she under understood. For once in his life, someone actually understood.
Then she looked at him and said, “You can’t pretend forever though.”
He though of the fight he overheard between her and her mother and replied, “No, but we can for tonight.”
***
Paige squeezed his hand impossibly tighter.
WE can for tonight.
WE.
Closing her eyes she though, The dream is better. The lie is nicer.
Would it hurt to just pretend that scars were only on the outside, that they weren’t deep rents inside you that refused heal?
Paige opened her eyes and Hayden’s face was inches from her own. Her eyes flickered to his lips and she felt heat crawl up her neck. On the bed they were sitting on at that moment she’d had her very first kiss. She hadn’t known it at the time, but now that she did…
It somehow felt right that Hayden’s mouth had been the first to touch hers and not some guy like Chris. It seemed like it actually meant something. And as she stared at the gold flecking in his eyes, Paige found herself wanting him to kiss her again.
Hayden saw the direction Paige’s eyes went and he unthinkingly leaned into her. To give her a better view of his mouth perhaps? Then his nose bumped hers and Hayden realized he was officially violating her personal space. Well, he had been for the last few minutes, but now his face was actually touching Paige’s. His cheek brushed hers. His bangs fell in her eyes. It was intimacy and innocence. It was everything and nothing at all.
At that moment, Hayden couldn’t help remembering the taste of her lips. He couldn’t help thinking of the way Paige’s slender body fit against his. His fingers tangled with hers as their half closed eyes finally met from underneath lowered lashes.
“Paige,” Hayden whispered against the soft skin of her jaw. “Can I kiss you right now?”
She inched closer until she was sitting beside Hayden at the foot of the bed. Then she hesitantly put her hand on his and said, “It’s over now, isn’t it. They can’t touch you anymore.”
Hayden’s hand wrapped almost convulsively around hers as he replied, “No, not anymore.”
Paige bit her lip and then asked softly, “Do you want to talk about it?’
***
Paige was so close. Hayden could hear the whisper of her breath, he could feel the warmth of her skin against his own. And he wanted to tell her, but at the same time he didn’t. Because it was selfish wasn’t it, to unload all the awfulness inside himself on Paige. He should protect her from the things she shouldn’t know. Like the way it felt to be shoved into a wall or pulled up off the ground by your hair. Wasn’t it enough that she knew he had a difficult past? Wasn’t it enough that it was over now?
“Do you mind if I don’t,” he asked.
She shook her head slowly and said, “No. Sometimes it‘s easier to ignore something. Sometimes you just NEED to pretend like it didn’t happen.”
Hayden had to restrain himself from wrapping his arms around her. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, and tell her he loved her more then anything. Because she under understood. For once in his life, someone actually understood.
Then she looked at him and said, “You can’t pretend forever though.”
He though of the fight he overheard between her and her mother and replied, “No, but we can for tonight.”
***
Paige squeezed his hand impossibly tighter.
WE can for tonight.
WE.
Closing her eyes she though, The dream is better. The lie is nicer.
Would it hurt to just pretend that scars were only on the outside, that they weren’t deep rents inside you that refused heal?
Paige opened her eyes and Hayden’s face was inches from her own. Her eyes flickered to his lips and she felt heat crawl up her neck. On the bed they were sitting on at that moment she’d had her very first kiss. She hadn’t known it at the time, but now that she did…
It somehow felt right that Hayden’s mouth had been the first to touch hers and not some guy like Chris. It seemed like it actually meant something. And as she stared at the gold flecking in his eyes, Paige found herself wanting him to kiss her again.
Hayden saw the direction Paige’s eyes went and he unthinkingly leaned into her. To give her a better view of his mouth perhaps? Then his nose bumped hers and Hayden realized he was officially violating her personal space. Well, he had been for the last few minutes, but now his face was actually touching Paige’s. His cheek brushed hers. His bangs fell in her eyes. It was intimacy and innocence. It was everything and nothing at all.
At that moment, Hayden couldn’t help remembering the taste of her lips. He couldn’t help thinking of the way Paige’s slender body fit against his. His fingers tangled with hers as their half closed eyes finally met from underneath lowered lashes.
“Paige,” Hayden whispered against the soft skin of her jaw. “Can I kiss you right now?”