Can't Help Falling in Love - Samantha Chase Page 0,59
time I saw him being so carefree. He talks about you nonstop and tells everyone about the flips that you do and how you taught him to stand on his head.”
Her heart squeezed hard in her chest and it felt…foreign… like nothing she’d ever felt before. Whatever it was…it was threatening to overwhelm her, and she was starting to panic.
“Um…”
Hunter gently pulled back and smiled down at her with such affection and gratitude that she swore she was about to cry. “You’ve made a difference in his life, Violet, and I want you to know that.” He paused. “You’ve made a difference in both of our lives, so…thank you.”
Oh, God…she really was going to cry. Tears stung her eyes and all she could do was nod before burying her face against his chest. Luckily, Hunter must have known she needed a minute because one strong hand gently cradled her head while the other slowly smoothed up and down her back.
After several moments, he kissed her before saying, “Eli’s going to be up soon. We usually make some breakfast together and have a lazy morning. I’d really love it if you joined us, but if you’d rather not…”
Cursing the few stray tears that were still falling, she looked up at him. “Please don’t think I’m a weirdo…”
His soft chuckle was the first response, but he quickly schooled his features. “I don’t think you’re a weirdo, Violet. You’re a single woman who is probably used to sleeping in on a Saturday morning and having a lazy day until you’re ready to do something. Our day starts early and it’s lazy for us but not to other’s standards. There’s breakfast and cartoons and some random chores. Not that you’d have to help with them, but…I totally get it if you’d rather go.”
Did she?
Honesty was important to her, so she knew she needed to explain to Hunter what was going on in her head.
“I don’t remember a time when I was growing up that things were normal. Things were typically chaotic when my mother was alive, and it didn’t matter if it was a school day morning or a weekend, I usually had to fend for myself. When I went into foster care, every home was different. I bounced around for a year or two before getting placed in the same house as Katie. The Michaels’ were regimented–and I mean that in a positive way. There was a schedule that we followed, and while we always sat down to breakfast together, it…” She sighed as she searched for the right word. “It was still obvious–at least to me–that it wasn’t my home. It wasn’t my family. I was always on guard and waiting for the moment when I’d have to pack up and leave again.”
She expected him to comment or tell her how sorry he was like most people did, but he didn’t. He simply lay back and let her talk.
“You may not believe this, but…being around families–normal families–is a little hard for me because I’m not sure how to act.”
“Just be you, Violet. There’s no one else you need to pretend to be.”
“That’s just it, Hunter, I’m not even sure how to just be myself because…because…” And dammit, she couldn’t stop the tears now even if she wanted to. “Because no one wanted me when I was myself. So I’m always trying to be who everyone else is being or acting how everyone else is, and it’s awkward and exhausting and…”
“Were you pretending with Eli in the yard that first day?”
She shook her head. “No, of course not. We were just goofing around and having fun.”
“Were you pretending the day Benjamin was born?”
Her snort was a little un-ladylike, but was out before she knew it. “Are you kidding? I was terrified! That wasn’t an act at all.”
Nodding, he said, “Okay, last question. Were you pretending last night here with me?”
“No,” she admitted quietly.
“Let me tell you something, Violet Drake,” he said, cupping her cheek. “I like the woman you are. A lot. And if you’re telling me that all the times we’ve been together you haven’t been faking anything or pretending, then I can say with great certainty that I like who you are. And you know what? So does Eli. And Katie. And everyone else you know.” He kissed her forehead. “I think you put a lot of pressure on yourself, and I’m here to tell you there’s no one here you need to impress because we already are.”