Page 28 of Hidden Scars

He smiles. “That’s just semantics, sweetheart.”

I stare at him as he leans back, all the while smiling at me.

“What do you mean?”

“It means that I know enough about you to know that you are a good person and I want you in my life. It means I feel a crazy connection between us, this spark, and I can’t think of a single thing you could tell me that would make me not want you.”

All I can do is watch him. I’m still not sure what to make of him. I think that had I met him only a few years ago, I would have been swept off my feet by his words but now, as much as the girl in me is swooning all over the place, I find myself questioning his motives. Does he really like me? Or is he just using his charm to suck me in? Like he did.

“You’re awfully confident,” I finally say and he just nods.

“I am.”

Needing to change the subject, I plaster a smile on my face.

“So, since you’re stuck with me all day, what are we going to do?”

He returns my grin and scans my apartment, stopping on a painting on the wall. It’s one of mine and I freeze.

“Wow. That’s incredible. Who’s the artist?”

“I am.” My voice is small, laced with pain. His head whips back in my direction.

“You paint?” His eyes are shining with excitement and I really wish I could tell him that I do. Instead of, I did.

“Not anymore.”

His gaze softens and he looks at me like he’s really trying to understand. “How come you don’t paint anymore?” His genuine blue eyes nearly gut me. God, he barely knows me and he seems to actually care about me.

“I just don’t.”

He cocks his head to the side, never once taking his eyes off me. “You’ve got to give me more than that.”

“I don’t have to give you anything!” As soon as the words are out, I regret them. It’s not his fault and I know it. He’s just trying to get to know me and it’s been a while since someone has tried to get through my armor. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

He smiles. “Sweetheart, you don’t have a thing to be sorry for.”

I stare at him in shock for a moment. Everything he says and does throws me off balance.

“Hey, how about you show me this legendary movie collection?”

I nod, surprised and more than a little pleased that he remembered. “It’s over there. Go ahead and pick one out.”

I grab my phone, as Nix makes his way over to the bookshelves along the wall to look through the movies, and text my brother.

Me:

Since when did you start

giving my number to strangers?

Tucker:

Nix?

I roll my eyes. Yes, Nix. Who else has he been giving my number to?

Me: