“Miss Black, can I speak with you?”
Her eyes snap to mine, her brows are furrowed, and her shoulders are nearly at her ears. “Fine.”
I wait until Mackenzie and Jeremy are nearly out of the theatre before I speak. “Tell me what’s going on.” It comes out like less of a demand and more of a plea.
She blows out a breath, and I’m fully prepared for her wrath, but her voice is low when she speaks. “Let’s just say that physical touch isn’t my love language.”
My eyebrow lifts as I wait for her to continue.
“My father was abusive, and I think my body associates touch with him.”
It’s more than I expected her to admit, especially to me.
“I have to feel really safe and trust someone before I’m comfortable with them touching me,” she admits.
“Thank you for sharing that with me.”
“I didn’t want to,” she adds quickly. “But I figured it would make this rehearsal process easier if you knew.”
Everything in me yearns to wrap her in my arms but I refrain. “I’m curious about something.”
“What?”
“At the beginning of the school year last year, you let me help you up. Is it because I asked before touching you?”
She thinks for a second before shrugging.
“Have you figured out anything else that helps?” I ask.
Her cheeks pinken and my cock perks up knowing she’s probably thinking about our time at the club.
“Actually, don’t answer that. It’s none of my business. Can I try something, though?”
There’s a curious look on her face as I jog out into the house to grab her parka. “Can you put this on?” I ask, handing her the coat.
“Okay,” she says, drawing out the word.
“I thought that maybe if you were wearing more layers, someone could touch you without you flinching. With your permission of course.”
She pulls on the coat, pulling the fur lined hood over her face as I move behind her.
“Can I touch your shoulders, Miss Black?”
“Only my shoulders, though, right?”
“Only your shoulders,” I assure her as I run one finger across her shoulder from right to left. “How was that?”
“I barely felt anything.”
“Can I apply more pressure and use my whole hand this time?”
“Sure,” she says on a big exhale.
Placing my palm on her left shoulder, I glide my hand as I walk around her body. Once I’m in front of her, I rest my palm on her right shoulder and grip the other one with my left, mimicking Jeremy’s earlier movement. We stand there, me gripping her, as she stands stock-still, her head dropped, hidden in her hood as her chest heaves with each labored breath she takes.
“Is this okay?” I ask gently.
When she looks up at me, her eyes are filled with tears as one tracks down her cheek. She wipes at it quickly.
