***
The rest of the dayseemed to move by slower than normal. Something felt different with Hutch when I left him. I don’t know if it was the fact that I realized I was in love with him or what, but I couldn’t want to see him tonight. Not that that was any different than usual either. We had been spending pretty much all of our free time together since our first kiss. But tonight...tonight just had a special feel to it.
“Jillian, wait!”
I was halfway up our walkway when Pat called out to me. I stopped, folded my arms across my chest, and turned to face him. It wasn’t that I was mad at him, well, maybe I was, but I just didn’t want to talk to him. I wanted to change out of my ballet clothes, shower, and get ready for my date. Or whatever this was.
Pat came to a stop in front of me as he ran a hand through his short blond hair. “I know you’re pissed at me.” His shoulders slumped forward. “You have every right to be, but I didn’t mean to...fuck.” He sighed softly.
I had always noticed the similarities now between Hutch and Pat. The hair, the eye color, but that was about it. Hutch, of course, was more handsome, taller, had the better body, but I didn’t know Pat the way I knew Hutch. “It’s not me you should apologize to,” I pointed out.
“That’s true, but I do need to thank you.”
My brows shot up. “Thank me? For what?” I had no idea what he was talking about right now.
“Can we sit for a second?” Pat pointed to the chairs on the porch. “My feet are killing me from standing all day.” Jo had mentioned he had taken a job at the supermarket. Once we were seated, Pat chewed nervously on his lips. “You’ve helped Hutch more than you know. He’s like the Hutch he was before. He’s turning back into the big brother that used to not take my shit, hitting me, pushing me around, and I...” His voice lodged in his throat as he turned away, but not before I saw the tears in his eyes.
I touched his arm. “I haven’t done anything,” I assured him.
“Jill, you have. Whatever is going on between the two of you, is bringing my brother back to me.” Pat glanced down at his hands. “Before he started hiding away, not talking, Hutch was the most popular kid at Ocean View High.” He met my surprised gaze. “I’m not even kidding. The girls fucking loved him, he had tons of friends, was never home, and gave me so much shit. Not in a bad way, but in a big brother way. That changed when he came home from camp, but now?” A smile tugged at his lips. “I see pieces of that version of Hutch again.” Pat took my hand then, softly caressing it. “Because of you, Jill. I’m just afraid that when you leave, he’ll go back to being the mute.”
I yanked my hand away. “Don’t call him that, Pat,” I hissed just as I caught sight of my sister skipping up the sidewalk.
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
I sat back in my chair as Jo looked between the two of us. “Everything alright?” She moved closer to her boyfriend like I might claw his eyes out.
“Peachy. I’m going to shower now,” I announced as I stood up. “I have plans with my boyfriend.” The words tumbled from my mouth so easily. Hutch and I hadn’t discussed anything about what we were or weren’t, but that didn’t matter. I knew what we were. “We’re good, Jo, don’t worry.” I added before she could even ask. I would deal with my sister in private.
Once I had showered, I took my time getting changed. The dress from the other night that I had teased Hutch about still hung on my closet door and as I removed it, I wondered if tonight was the night. I brought it up to my body, admiring the soft fabric, the dark blue color, and thought about what he would think when he saw me in it. The dress was short, hardly coming to my knees, and had tiny thin straps that would require me to wear a strapless bar. I had to have the dress the moment I saw I hanging in the store window. I quickly removed the towel I had wrapped around my body before I found the perfect bra and a matching thong to wear. Then I slipped the dress over my head to stare at myself in the mirror.
Would Hutch like this dress or would he think it was too much or too little? Would he even notice I had it on when he got home? Sometimes when Hutch returned from one of his therapy sessions, he’d be utterly exhausted, moody, and didn’t want to do anything other than eat dinner before we made out on the couch and he’d nestle between my legs. Other times, Hutch would be cheerful, tossing me onto the bed and demanding that I eat his cock because that’s what he wanted right then. I never knew which version I would get.
As I dug out a pair of sandals to wear, I knew I approved of the dress which was really the only thing that mattered in the end. I knew Hutch found me attractive. He told me all the time, but was that the only connection we had or did he love me like I loved him?
Chapter Twelve
