He’s different than I expected. He might not be the type of man who would ever wear his heart on his sleeves, and honestly, sometimes I have no idea what he’s thinking, but he’s shown me in no time that I don’t need all that to know he would do anything to protect those he cares about.
And there’s no doubt that he cares for Riley and me.
I should be worried that when this threat he’s investigating is gone, we won’t share the same connection we do now. Or that it may not be what I think it is. The old me would have thought that, but now? I don’t know how to explain it other than a feeling I have about him. He’s been hurt, that’s clear as day, but one thing he’s never hidden from me behind that stoic mask he wears is his heart. It used to be that I could hardly see it shining. Whatever haunts him rides him so hard that it can’t shine past the darkness. In the past few weeks, though, I’ve seen it and basked in that glow’s glory. He might be rusty at this whole letting people in thing, but I have no doubt he’s been loved and has loved right back. When he lets me see that side of him, I always see the wonderment that takes over him. Almost like he can’t believe this is real, either.
I shift to see past the hoard of moms, no doubt not watching their children now that Drew’s perfect self has walked into their sight. I have to get on my toes to get a clear view, and when I do, my heart melts at the two of them.
He’s stopped just shy of the doorway and taken a knee directly in front of Riley. She’s got the biggest smile as they move their hands in the space between their bodies. Pinkies linking, fingers dancing a tango together in this new secret handshake they made up a few weeks back. I can’t hear them, but when their lips start moving, I know they’re saying the little chant that goes with it. Riley always goes off on her own solo during that part, giving some more hand slaps before ending with something about a UFO.
When they drop their arms, she leaps toward him and hugs him. Once back on her feet, she turns, and I watch her look for me through the thirsty mom fan club. I get a little wave with one heck of a big smile before she runs through the door and into the school.
I glance back toward him, having missed when he stood during my goodbye to Riley, just in time to see him part the thirsty moms like the Red Sea. He doesn’t break his stride. Whatever they see makes them scurry out of the way and create the path for him. His legs have him standing in front of me in no time, eyes never leaving mine the whole way.
“I’m going to hurt you, and when I do, it’ll hurt her.”
His eerie words hit me like a hammer. It takes a lot, but I don’t let him see the hurt they inflict. There’s a vow to his words that makes it seem like a premonition to come, not a worry due to something bothering him. Just as quickly as his words hit me, so does the resolve to make sure that never happens. I will not lose the magic this man has brought to my life.
“Seems simple enough then, honey,” I whisper. “Don’t.”
“Unbelievable” by Why Don’t We
“You know, I find it incredibly unfair that, since you and Drew started this weird thing, he still hardly talks to me. It’s been almost three months, Liv. What do you guys do on the nights you stay at his place? Do you guys just sit around and look at each other when you’re together? Or does Riley just run the show? Because, girlfriend, what is with that silence?”
I roll my eyes at Ella and smile at Grace across my kitchen table.
The girls came over to have our once-a-month gab session, which really means we sit around and chat about everything and nothing. It’s one of my favorite days of the month. And they’re even better now that I have Drew in my life.
He came to get Riley about an hour ago, taking her on a lunch date while the girls and I have some kid-free chatter time. As much as I love the ability to talk to my girls without worrying about her little ears hearing things she shouldn’t, that’s not my favorite part. The relationship that he’s forming with Riley has brought so much joy to our lives. While he and I have been growing closer, so have they and it fills me with happiness.
Riley, as I expected, didn’t even flinch when Drew and I started showing the change in our relationship. We started slow, hands being held as we walked together to and from school and work. The biggest change was when he started sticking around almost every night for her bedtime.
“He isn’t silent with us,” I answer Ella, loving the expression of doubt and shock on her face. “In fact, he’s become a bit of a chatter bug.”
“You’re pulling my leg,” she accuses, eyes narrowing as she squints her disbelief my way. “Do you believe this chick?” she adds toward Grace.
“I heard him the other day,” Grace chimes in. “He actually was quite chatty with the two of them.”
Ella, having been looking at me incredulously, slowly turns her head in Grace’s direction, jaw dropping along the way, and glares at her.
“You lie!” she gasps.
“Nope. I tell no lies.”
I laugh at my friends, lean back in my chair and sip my drink.
“He stood right outside of Mug and talked to me before they left, too.” Grace continues to tease.
Ella’s head turns back toward me and she narrows her eyes. “Where was I?”
I shrugged. “Probably inside. He was in there before we left talking to Mr. W. How did you miss that?”
“What day?” she barks, looking between us wildly.
“I don’t know, I think it was late last week some time.”
She blushes, and I know exactly why she missed it. I just wasn’t going to call her on it. What she does on her break is her business. It’s not what she does that’s causing the blush. It’s who she’s been spending the time with.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Grace jests with a laugh. “You can’t get mad the guy doesn’t talk to you when you’re too busy sneaking off with one of his dudes and missing all the fun. You want to hear him get chatty you have to stop getting chatty with Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome.”
Ella’s face gets even redder.
“It really isn’t that big of a deal, El.”
“Not that big of a deal,” she says. “I’m your best friend, and he doesn’t speak to me.”
“Do you speak to him?” I ask, knowing the answer.
“Well …”
“So you are upset that he doesn’t talk to you, but you don’t talk to him either. You can’t have a tizzy over missing out. Maybe he thinks you don’t like him.”
“I never thought about it that way,” she mulls.
Leave it to Grace to lay it out there for Ella with not a whole lot of room for her to argue more. Naturally, she finds a way. Silly girl.
“He’s kind of scary, don’t you think? I mean, if it wasn’t for the fact that my best friend is enjoying the giant, silent man I would think he was pretty much incapable of opening up to anyone. It’s been years that he and his friends have come in and he just now starts getting chatty? I don’t get it. So yeah … he’s kind of scary.”
Ella’s proclamations give me pause. Not for the first time I wonder what changed to make him open up to us. I like to think it was the connection I feel between us. A lot because of Riley, too. Maybe it’s just how protective he is that made it grow. I’m not stupid. There’s also that “something” that he’s asked me to leave alone until he can tell me. I don’t push, but the more time we spend together, I know I have to get to the bottom of this before it eats my overthinking heart alive. I’ve seen his shadows though and I don’t want to hurt him by pushing him to open up. He’s given me no reason not to trust him so I won’t be starting today.