“I think they never tried to understand you or get to know you. They allowed things to be surface level.”
“You think you know me.” The words came out incredulous, as if knowing me wasn’t a possibility.
“You’ve opened up a little. I’m getting a better picture.” His words were cautious as he ran fingers through his hair. “Like I said earlier, I like you.”
“We’re not a good idea.” I don’t know why I was throwing up road block after road block, hurdle after hurdle, but I had to know if he was serious or if he’d get tired and walk away.
“I think you’re the best idea I’ve had.” His eyes were steady and sure on mine.
“How can you possibly know that?” Frustration crept into my voice as hope filled my chest.
“The best things in life require the most effort. Things between us might not be easy but I think it will be worth it.”
I was worth getting to know. It was hard to believe. Hard to accept. Anyone who’d delved beneath the surface was disappointed. They found me lacking. What if he didn’t like what he found?
“I know what you’re thinking. I’m going to dispel every doubt, smooth out any worries.”
“You’re so confident.” His words, his confidence, set my pulse spiking. I liked he was so adamant he’d be successful.
He looked away from the camera. “Before things went down with my ex I was confident. I made business decisions without worrying about the consequences because my instincts were good and I trusted them. I don’t know how I missed what was going on under my nose, but I did.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
His gaze focused on me. “Just like your reluctance to let people in isn’t your fault.”
At the same time, I didn’t want to open up to anyone, to lay myself bare to be made fun of, ridiculed. My skin wasn’t thick enough. I wouldn’t survive if Griffin’s lips turned from a smile to a sneer.
I closed my eyes imagining him calling me a cold bitch, but I couldn’t see him saying that. Instead, I felt his firm touch as he whispered sweet words in my ear as goose bumps erupted over my skin. Was it a mistake to assume he was different than the rest?
“Avery. Stop listening to those voices in your head. They’re not yours.”
My eyes opened, the feeling of being stripped down before him intensified. “How do you know what I’m doing?”
“I can guess. You’re wondering if I’m real, if I’m different than the others, if you can trust me. You want to, but it’s hard.”
I swallowed, tears pricking my eyes. When was the last time I’d cried? Not since that asshole in high school said he’d go out with me as a joke, when I was the laughingstock of the school. I’d vowed never to be unguarded with someone else. Admitting you liked someone, was the ultimate vulnerability. Could I do that with Griffin? Could I give him a little of what he’d given me? “I like you too.”
My voice was quiet. I wasn’t sure he heard me.
“Was that so hard?” His voice was gentle, full of understanding, not ridicule.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “It was actually.”
“I get that. I hope the more we spend time together, the easier it gets. I want to enjoy this thing between us. It doesn’t have to be this scary thing.”
“Okay. I want to trust you.” I swallowed down the doubts, the insecurities, the what-ifs.
“That means a lot to me, Avery. I don’t take that lightly.”
The way he said it, his voice low and gentle, sparked something in my heart. It was like an ember left over from a fire, burning small, but left to its devices would feed on the air, growing bigger, burning brighter. “I like when you say my name.”
He smiled as if I’d given him a gift.
I was quiet for a few seconds, reveling in my admissions, hope blooming in my chest.
“I’d better go to bed. Declan gets up early.” Griffin’s eyes filled with regret as if he wanted to talk longer.
“I’m glad you called. I’m happy we had this conversation.” Now that I’d taken that first step, it was like the dam had broken, my thoughts and feelings fell unhindered from my lips.
“Me too. ‘Night, Avery.”
“‘Night.” I clicked end on my screen before clutching the phone to my chest, sliding under my covers, hoping I hadn’t made a mistake. Griffin Locke would be the end of me one way or the other. He’d break down every wall until he got to my gooey inside.
I didn’t want to think about the alternative that he was like all the rest. He’d take until he used every admission to destroy me or he’d walk away after telling me I wasn’t enough.
I rolled onto my side, the phone still clutched to my chest. “I want to trust you, Griffin Locke. Don’t let me down.”
After my conversation with Griffin, I drifted through the next day. Usually, I’d be dissecting everything I’d said, berating myself for being too open. Instead, I chose to focus on his words. He liked me. He wanted to get to know me.
“Are you coming to our weekly roundup in the conference room?” Hadley asked, popping her head into my office.
Startled out of my thoughts, I glanced at the computer’s clock. It was already six p.m. “Yeah, sorry. I lost track of time.”
“Is that because you’re thinking of a certain someone?” She wiggled her brows. “Griffin Locke.”
I stood, my lips tugging into a smile as I gathered my notepad and pen. “Maybe.”
I preceded her to the conference room where Dylan was already seated, her laptop open in front of her.
“Tell me everything.” Hadley plopped into a seat at the table before turning her attention to me.
I sat, an overwhelming desire to talk to someone coursed through me as I struggled to find the right words. “There’s not much to tell. I ran into him last weekend, then he invited me to dinner last night to see the model plane Declan made.”
Her brow raised. “So, you’re saying nothing happened.”
“Declan was there.” My cheeks heated, my fingers fidgeted with my notepad and pen.
Dylan’s gaze rose from her screen, settling on me. “Something definitely happened. Did he kiss you?”
I nodded slightly, worried about revealing too much even though I’d known Dylan a long time and I’d already told Hadley my deepest shame and she hadn’t thought less of me or wondered if the bullies in high school were right.
Hadley rubbed her hands together. “I knew it.”
“It was just a kiss. Then he called me when I got home to talk.”
“What did he say?” Hadley leaned in closer.
Dylan shoved her laptop to the side.
“He said he liked me and wanted to get to know me better. The usual things people say to each other.” I tried to pass it off as if it wasn’t a big deal when it was groundbreaking for me. No one had ever claimed to want to know me with such determination. It felt good.
“No. This is a big deal,” Hadley said, glancing at Dylan to gauge her reaction. “What did you say?”
“I said I liked him too. We’re seeing each other tomorrow. It’s not a date since Declan will be there.” But I was excited anyway.