Faker - Sarah Smith Page 0,62
knew about from a Disney movie.” I bite my lip. “I cried about it sometimes, but never in front of them. Always hidden away in the auditorium or the girls’ bathroom. I never wanted to give them the satisfaction.”
I’ve never told anyone how I used to cry alone in middle school. Tate is the first and only to know.
He grabs my hand, and I swear I feel tingling where our skin touches. “Forget them. They didn’t know you. They didn’t deserve to know you. They were probably jealous of you.”
I scoff. “You don’t have to butter me up.”
He cuts me off. “I’m not. I swear I’m not.”
I roll my head on his shoulder. With his fingertips against my cheek, he pulls me closer. His gaze is gray and intense.
“I know for a fact they were jealous. They saw you, this beautiful girl from Hawaii who looked different from them, and they didn’t know how to handle it. So they acted like jackasses.”
There’s an achy pulse in my chest at the kindness of his words. Again, he frowns. Again, it sends my heartbeat into a tizzy.
“And for the record, I think it’s sweet your mom gave you that coconut, but you’re strong on your own.”
My breath catches. As close as our bodies are, I feel closer to him emotionally after this intimate exchange. He cares about me and wants to know so much about me. It’s not just that I’m attracted to him; it’s that right here, right now, I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long while. No worldly destination compares to sitting on this curb with Tate, except maybe my bedroom.
“Want to come inside?” I grin up at him. My hand is already digging in my purse for my keys. He stands, then helps me to my feet.
A hint of a smile is dancing at his lips, and I feel like I’ve won the lottery. He rubs the back of his neck. “Maybe we should wait.”
Disappointment hits. “Why?”
“You’re still recovering from surgery. And a concussion.”
“It’s been almost two weeks,” I say. I’m shameless in my need to be with him.
He runs a hand through my hair. “Believe me, I want to.” He turns to glance at my front door. “But I have a feeling the moment we walk through that door, we won’t be able to control ourselves.”
“That’s not true.” He frowns at my lie, but I press on. “We spent almost every night together while I was out from work, and we managed just fine.”
“True, but every day you feel better and stronger, you’ll be tempted to test the waters. So will I.”
I let out a pouty scoff.
“Emmie, I want you. There’s no question about that. You have to rest, though.”
I tug at his hand. “Wait, is this because you saw Jamie and me just now? I thought we cleared that up.”
Tate shakes his head before raking my hair from my face. “No, of course not. Look, I know I came off like a jealous jackass this morning, but you explained everything. I realize I was wrong to feel that way. What happened just now didn’t bother me.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. His jaw clenches.
“I get it. There’s nothing between you two. I’m just . . . I take time to process things, longer than most people.”
“You’re introspective,” I say. “I respect that.”
His lips press against my forehead. My eyelids fall closed. I can’t do anything other than hum.
“Let’s take our time, okay? You need it, and I need it.”
When he pulls me in for a hug, I press an openmouthed kiss against his chest.
“Emmie,” he chuckles. “Please. Don’t.”
My teeth graze his shoulder in a soft scrape.
“Fuck,” he groans. “If there’s anything harder than walking away from you, I don’t want to know what it is.”
I eye the crotch of his jeans. “Speaking of hard.”
He ruffles his hair with his hand. “And that’s my cue to leave.”
Watching Tate walk away is an exercise in patience that I don’t possess. So instead, I lunge forward and grab his hand. I let myself press into him and breathe in deep. That spicy, woodsy scent that seems to follow him everywhere will be the death of me.
“Have dinner with me tomorrow night.”
Surprise laces his smile. “Dinner?”
I nod. “Maybe we can’t do the physical stuff yet, but we can eat together, can’t we?”
Even in the darkness, there’s a spark in his eye, like he can’t believe it either. Weeks ago it was a struggle just to be in the presence of