“I understand what you’re saying,” Bryn replied quietly. “Have you considered that you’re literally only looking at every possible worst case scenario?”
Vivian leaned back, letting Bryn have her turn.
“I just don’t see what you see. All I see is how we balance each other. Where you see damage, I see experience. You say darkness, but I see grounding earth when my enthusiasm wants to carry me too far away. You’re not broken, Vivian. You’ve been hurt. And despite every kick and shove, you have so much love and empathy in your heart. I see you,” she promised and Vivian so desperately wanted to believe her. “I see the person you are when you think no one is looking. You are fiercely protective. Even now all you’ve done is list the reasons you don’t want to hurtme, without thinking about what that means for you.” She smiled, bright and hopeful and contagious.
“Just give me a chance. Let me show you why none of your fears will ever touch us. Or that maybe I’m too optimistic and your pessimism could win an Olympic medal, but meeting in the middle will give us everything we’ve ever wanted.”
Vivian closed her eyes. She wanted so badly to believe her. Even if life had only repeatedly taught her the same lesson, because in her life, she’d never met anyone like Bryn. And maybe she was a variable that could change the equation. That could, for once in her life, prove her wrong about people. About herself.
Forehead pressed to Bryn’s, Vivian shut her eyes tight until the tears stopped. Until she heard herself whisper, “Please don’t mishandle me.” The truth was the only thing she’d ask of her. “If you’re over this, for any reason, just tell me. And I promise I’ll try not to say I told you so.”
“Deal.” Bryn laughed, the sun claiming the sky. “But I’ll definitely be saying I told you so.”
And then Bryn kissed her. Soft and gentle, like she was practiced at handling scar tissue and fear.
It was the most terrifying kiss of Vivian’s life, but she couldn’t stop reaching for it. Couldn’t stop wanting what Bryn’s kiss offered. Couldn’t stop reaching for Bryn, pulling her closer, kissing her deeper because how could she ever let go of a soul who’d looked at all her broken pieces and ran headlong into her anyway.
ChapterThirty-Three
“Where are we going?”Vivian asked from the passenger seat of Bryn’s Subaru.
“To meet my parents,” Bryn replied, managing not to laugh at Vivian’s sudden shift. At her desperate attempt to hide her horror. Given that she’d turned into a stone version of herself, even her excellent acting skills couldn’t conceal her true feelings.
“Meeting my parents with no notice?” Bryn chuckled. “What kind of monster do you think I am?”
“The kind who wants to push my Botox to capacity.”
Vivian relaxed, but only until they reached a closed wooden gate with the wordsOlga’s Orchid Oasispainted within a colorful mural. However, in the dark, it had a terrifying tourist trap vibe Bryn hadn’t expected.
“Don’t worry.” She unhooked her seatbelt. “This hasn’t all been an elaborate trap to steal your kidneys.”
Vivian’s side-eye was as regal as all her other gestures. “We’ll see.”
Bryn laughed, high on the night air and the smile dancing in Vivian’s eyes. “Organ removal is a bit much for a first date.”
Vivian arched her eyebrow. A silent question.
Grasping the handle, the car obnoxiously reminding her the door was open, Bryn leaned away. “What?” She dropped her smile, stomach souring with the fear of another step backward. “Are you denying this is a date?”
Vivian considered it for too long. Bryn couldn’t breathe. Anxiety expanded like spray foam, clogging her throat.
“After spending several evenings together, it feels a bit…twee to call this ourfirstdate.”
Relief flooded Bryn’s system. She laughed too hard, but couldn’t find the will to care. “I’m still a gentleman, Vivian.” Skin buzzing, she couldn’t stop grinning. “And this is the first time we’ve agreed to go out romantically. Hence, first date.”
Vivian openly resisted the urge to smile. She looked between Bryn and the gate that now looked absolutely creepy where the paint had faded in the sun. “Is this…the date?”
“Almost,” Bryn replied with a wink she instantly regretted and fled the scene on foot.
Olga, who’d been a friend of the family’s for longer than Bryn had been alive, had come through in extraordinary fashion. The screened-in patio attached to the large stucco plant shop was a lush space covered floor to ceiling in orchids and ferns. Flameless candles were tucked into every available nook. And at the center, a worn patio sofa Olga must have scrounged up from somewhere in a hurry.
“Bryn,” Vivian whispered, dark eyes on hers.
“Wait.” Bryn was beaming, she knew it, but couldn’t stop. “There’s a little more.”
Racing to the car she’d left parked on the gravel path meant for golf carts, Bryn popped open the trunk. She grabbed the insulated bag she’d borrowed from her mom and the Bluetooth speaker her roommate used to blast ABBA every Saturday morning.
When she returned, Vivian was looking at an exotic orchid bloom that resembled a mysterious deep-sea creature.
