hurt her.
Sunny was too pure. Too good. Too honest. She deserved someone as equally amazing as she was. A guy who could give her everything she craved without being a fucking basket case about it.
“Oh, thank God,” she breathed out as we reached what I assumed was her car.
“What?”
“There was a car parked up my ass earlier. I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to get out.”
“I would have picked up the car and moved it,” I said with a grin, and she laughed.
“You can’t just pick up a car,” she said between giggles.
“So, you don’t think I’m strong enough?” I asked, flexing my muscles in her direction. “I’m offended.”
“No, you’re not,” she said before hitting a button and unlocking the doors. “Offended, I mean. Not that you aren’t strong enough. I’m sure lifting cars is totally normal.” She smiled as I slid inside the passenger seat and waited for her to get in.
“Gotta be honest, Sunny,” I said as she buckled up and started the engine, her blue eyes meeting mine. “I’m really looking forward to those cookies.”
She laughed again, and it filled me with something I couldn’t place. A kind of happiness in knowing that I was the one bringing that smile to her lips. I planned to keep doing it for as long as she’d let me. Or until I messed it all up.
Why—why—are my thoughts so self-destructive? I fucking annoyed myself.
“I’m glad I can make you happy.”
“Also,” I began before making sure my tone was as serious as my intention, “thank you for taking care of me tonight. And for sticking up for me.”
I’d never had someone come to my defense before. Usually, people stood by and watched shit happen, but no one ever did anything about it. Especially when it was happening to a guy. Everyone always assumed that we men could take care of ourselves and we didn’t need an entourage to have our backs. And while we might not always need it per se, it’d sure felt nice to have tonight.
“Anytime,” was all she said in response. I watched as she focused less on me and more on the road in front of us. “But I did lie a little earlier.”
Her admission caught me off guard, and I felt my entire body tense with her words. What has she lied about? Was the car moving slow enough that I could open the door and jump out if I need to?
“About what?” I asked, my voice practically shaking.
“The cookies. I mean, I made some already this afternoon. I meant to bring them tonight, but I forgot. They’ll still be good though, I promise,” she overexplained, and I instantly relaxed.
“Jesus, Sunny, you scared the shit out of me.”
“Why? What did you think I was talking about?” She sounded so surprised.
“I have no idea. But not your damn delicious cookies.”
I really was more messed up than I’d realized with trust issues and relationship fears lingering right below the surface. They weren’t even buried deep, hidden underneath layers of ego or false confidence.
Nope.
My issues were ready and waiting to bounce out at a moment’s notice. Give them an opening, and they were taking it. I shook my head to myself, wishing I could snap them away but knowing it was no use. Life didn’t work that way, no matter how badly you wanted it to.
Blowing out a soft breath, I leaned back against the headrest as Sunny gave me a quick look and a soft smile, but she didn’t ask me what was going on even though I knew she must have wanted to.
The rest of the short drive was spent in a comfortable quiet, aside from the radio playing pop music in the background. At least, I thought it was comfortable. I couldn’t be sure how Sunny interpreted it, but I hadn’t felt the need to say anything to break up the lack of words being spoken.
There had been plenty of times in my life when silence felt not only deafening, but also downright strangling. I couldn’t breathe in the quiet.
This wasn’t one of those times.
It seemed crazy to be so relaxed, but then I remembered that Sunny always seemed to have that effect on me. When my world was in chaos, she gave me calm. Even tonight, I’d gravitated toward her over all others. Every second that I was taking care of Matt and getting him settled in his room, my mind was on her. And while it hadn’t shocked me that I left Hayley