Page 46 of Small Town Sizzle

I nod again because I don’t think my voice would work if I tried right now. I’m not even sure that my legs will work, either.

He scurries around the room, picking up our clothes. He helps me get dressed because suddenly, I’ve become helpless.

What’s wrong with me?

He plops down on the couch, pulling me down and into his lap at the same time.

“Let’s just sit here for a few minutes, okay? Let me hold you. We don’t have to speak.”

I start to protest, to fidget, but he wraps his arms around me tightly and won’t let me move, but in a nice way. He rubs my back and my hair at the same time. He kisses the top of my head.

Whoa, what is this? And why do I like it?

A warmth tingles down my body as he pulls me tight against him, compelling me to press in closer even though this all feels so foreign. I can’t remember the last time anyone offered me such open tenderness… that always seemed to be reserved for other women, or people in romance movies and novels.

I snuggle into him, my head resting on his chest. I close my eyes and listen to our breathing. My body feels light and floaty, as if I would fly right up to the ceiling if he didn’t have a hold of me.

Tears fill my eyes and then begin to roll down my cheeks. I’ve never had anyone hold me like this before. I’ve never had anyone rub my back or play with my hair or…do anything kind and caring like this for me before.

I’m always the one taking care of everyone else. No one has ever taken care of me like this.

Why am I crying?

I can’t be crying right now, I’m going to scare him off.

No matter what I tell my body to start doing, it doesn’t listen. The tears fall faster and harder and I start sobbing into his chest.

“It’s okay, Maya. Let it out.”

I almost recoil at the absurd suggestion. Me crying is not something I usually letanyonesee, and I wouldn’t be now, butno matter how much I try to swallow it down, there’s just too much. It’s just spilling out of me.

“Sssshhhh, it’s okay,” he breathes.

He whispers words of encouragement in my ear as the sobs rack my body. I can’t even tell you why I’m crying right now, but it feels like a tidal wave of emotions that I can’t stop. Like the dam of my grief has finally broken.

I’m always the one who has to be strong for everyone else, and there’s so much that I’ve bottled up and never felt for so much of my life.

His arms are like a shield against the world, wrapping me in warmth and safety. His chest rises and falls beneath my cheek, the steady rhythm of his breathing grounding me in a way I didn’t realize I needed. In his hold, I feel my body giving in to the exhaustion.

His hand brushes up and down my back in slow, soothing strokes, and I can’t fight the pull of my eyelids growing heavier by the second. My mind drifts, and before I know it, I’m slipping into the hazy space between wakefulness and sleep, the sound of his heartbeat like a distant lullaby.

I don’t know how long I’m out, but the subtle shift of his body stirs me. His arms loosen around me slightly, and I blink groggily, lifting my head to look at him.

“Maya,” he says softly, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “I would love to stay like this all night, trust me. But I’m guessing you need to get home to the kids.”

My stomach flips at the reminder. I sit up quickly, panic flooding my chest as I fumble for my watch. The numbers glare back at me, and my heart sinks.

“Oh no, it’s late,” I mutter, guilt washing over me in waves. “Alex and Jaz—they were expecting me home. I was supposed to tell them goodnight…”

I trail off, the weight of my guilt settling over me.

He reaches out, cupping my chin gently, his thumb brushing against my cheek. His voice is firm but kind. “Hey. Stop. Get out of your head. You’re doing your best, Maya. They’ll understand.”

I want to argue, to tell him that I should’ve been more on top of things, that I shouldn’t have let myself get so overwhelmed. But his eyes hold mine, steady and unwavering, and something about the way he looks at me makes the words die in my throat.

“I’ll drive you home if you want,” he offers.

I shake my head quickly. “No, that’s okay. It’s… too complicated to explain and everyone in town will talk. I’ll drive myself.”