pants.
So not like me.
“Not easy. I can’t tell you how many people have used those exact words to describe me.” Her
lower lip trembles the tiniest bit, and I sit back on my ass, clenching my hands in my lap to stop
myself from kissing that tremble away.
“Have you always been…” The last thing I want to do is hurt her, so I don’t know how to finish
that question.
“Weird? Difficult? Yes, I think so. For as long as I can remember, anyway. Everything bothered
me when I was a child. Noises, lights, clothing. The feel of things makes my whole body react.”
“Do you mean like this?” I ask, gently pressing my forefinger to her red arm. A white circle
appears, quickly eaten up by the red again.
She clears her throat and shakes her head. “No, not exactly. I always got rashes from clothing. I do
ok in cotton, but I have to be careful about detergent. But I mean that the way things feel makes me
react. Like the shoes you gave me. It’s like my fingertips are hypersensitive. So if something feels
good, like the suede, then it’s almost like my whole body lights up. My scalp tingles, and little waves
ripple down my back. It’s the opposite for things that feel weird. They almost hurt to touch.”
I rock forward, my body shuddering as I realize how sensitive she is. I try desperately to rein in
my mind, to stop myself from imagining how her sensitivity could play out in my bed. Iwantto learn
what lights her up and makes her shiver.
“Like?” I ask, wheezing a bit. She gives me a funny look.
“Velcro. That’s a big one. I hate the way it feels, and the sound is awful. Certain metal, like the
handle of some knives. Hate that.” She shudders dramatically, a small grin on her face. “I really hate
that microfibre material, too. The one they use for cleaning cloths.”
“You remind me a little of Jonas,” I say, leaning back on my arms. “He has a few sensory issues,
too. The obvious ones have to do with clothing.”
“That’s why he’s in t-shirts and the cardigan all the time?”
“Yeah,” I say, smiling. “You should have seen him the first time Ransom took him to try on a suit.
He was willing to try. That’s honestly one of my favorite things about my brother. He’ll try almost
anything…now, anyway.” I still remember trying to convince him to eat a grilled cheese sandwich
when we were kids. The way the cheese oozed freaked him out.
