“I don’t you don’t believe me, but I hope in time, you will, Charlie. I won’t hurt you on purpose here, and I’ll tell you that however often I need to.”
It's about trust.
The words echoed in my mind. He had spoken of them just the other day. Trust went both ways.
It was so much more than just words spoken. The action had to be shown.
“Trust,” I spoke the word, testing it on my tongue just like I had when he’d gone over what it meant to him.
“That’s right,” Vincent said softly, almost surprised. “My words won’t be enough to prove to you that I won’t hurt you.”
I didn’t know how to reply, so I didn’t say anything at all.
Vincent guided me through the yard, slow and steady. His pace never rushed, never faltered. One arm looped through mine, anchoring me without pressure. Not pulling. Not pushing. Just there.
“We’ll have to have Moore and Adrian over for a BBQ before the weather changes. And maybe a couple of other friends with their partners, too.”
“If that’s what you want, Sir.” Meeting others wasn’t something on my to-do list any time soon. But Moore and Adrian were okay people. Adrian, of course was.
“I’ll let you settle here first. Find your feet and your place. If you aren’t ready, that’s fine. I won’t hold it against you.”
I didn’t think I’d ever get used to him offering me a safety net at every step. But it was certainly happening often enough for me to notice what he was doing.
“Did you get to spend a lot of time outside?”
“Not often.” Sadly. Well, not in the winter months. I could do without the cold and snow. “I do enjoy being outside, Sir.”
“You are welcome to come out here without me.” He told me earlier. “I can see you out of any window in the kitchen. Even if all you do is sit on the porch. There are a couple of chairs you can take advantage of.”
I glanced towards them as we were walking back that way. They were a light grayish color, nearly the same color as the wall.
“The reason I bought this house, other than its location, was because the sunset is right there, and it can be quite beautiful.” He pointed towards our right, where the sun was slowly dipping in the sky. It wasn’t sunset time, but I could picture it. Not much blocked the colors that could paint the sky. “And the morning sun can be watched just that way. It’s nice to not have trees blocking the view too much.”
“There are always trees on all sides of Lockswell’s.” And brick fences. To say I was held there like an inmate wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Sure, the trees and flowers were pretty, given the seasons that passed, but otherwise, I couldn’t see what was beyond it all.
“There are no walls here. You can enjoy the scenery. Come out here in the morning and write in thenotebook. Or just come out and let the silence settle over you.”
Why did those options sound so appealing? I wanted to do them so badly, I could almost reach out and grab them.
“It’s okay to want things.”
I wanted to desperately wanted to believe those words.
Vincent gave me a soft smile, warm and light. The way he looked at me at that moment was something I wanted to bottle up forever. I wanted to capture that look in a picture if I were an artist.
It was filled with so much light, so muchgood,that something super small settled in my chest.
He cares,my thoughts are supplied for me.
And maybe, I’d let him show it more often if I got that look from him every time.
Chapter 34
Charlie
“Hi!”
I blinked. Then blinked again.
