“Red. Four months won’t be nearly long enough with you. I’ll be here at graduation. And after. Maybe I can’t know, but I believe it. You’re not a burden. Not to your friends. Not to the people that love you. Not to me.”
He doesn’t say anything, his eyes on the table between us.
I give his hand a squeeze. “Can I let you in on a secret?”
“You’re a porn star?”
I chuckle, despite the ache in my chest. “Not a star.”
“Not yet, maybe. You will be.”
I hum, not letting Isaac’s attempt at avoidance deter me. “I’m a little bit obsessed with you, Isaac Newport. The way you see yourself? I won’t tell you you’re wrong. But I will tell you where you see a combative attitude, I see a fierce sense of spirit. What you think is a burden is a gift in the right hands. You’re strong and passionate and painfully beautiful. And when your eyes are on me, I feel like just maybe you see something worth hanging on to, as well.”
Isaac pulls in a shuddering breath. “You’re potent. I’m not sure I stand a chance against your mouth.”
My lips curl, and Isaac shoots me a hard look.
“Don’t say it. I meant yourwords, you smug bastard.Ugh. Stop smiling like that.”
“Can’t,” I inform him. “Too busy thinking about what you looked like under my lips.”
“Jesus Christ,” he hisses, glancing around quickly. No one is paying us any mind. “You are dangerously close to making me either cry or pop a boner at a bookstore. And neither is allowed.”
“I don’t know. I think both are acceptable responses to reading.”
Isaac blinks up at the ceiling several times, biting his lip as if muffling a laugh. I let his hand go when he gives a little tug, fairly sure at this point we’re back on safe ground. Not that I mind in the least being granted a glimpse into Isaac’s internal emotional state.
Like him, it’s a gift.
Isaac busies himself with balling up his trash before he finally meets my eye. “Thank you,” he says simply. “And sorry I got all…”
“Human?” I supply. “Pretty sure it’s unavoidable.”
“Yeah, well, I’d rather not dump my feelings all over you while we’re on a date. It’s not exactly sexy.”
When I don’t say a word, trying to figure out how to argue that Isaac’s transparency is, in fact, quite sexy, he rolls his eyes.
“Oh myGod, stop looking at me like that. Come on. Books.”
“Ooh, talk dirty to me, baby.”
Isaac’s laugh has my grin stretching from ear to ear.
By my estimation, this date couldn’t be going better.
Chapter 17
Isaac
Trevor and I wander down an aisle of classic literature, browsing the titles and various editions they have on hand.
I can’t get his words out of my head. About the way he sees me. About how I see him in return.
Is it too much to hope he’s right? That the two of us could last? That, beyond sex and surface compatibility, we could have something meaningful? Something worth holding on to?
My fingers skate along the spine ofThe Odysseybefore I clear my throat. “So you work tonight? At the tattoo shop?”
Trevor nods. “I don’t have set hours. Just anytime after they close, so there’s no rush.”
