Page 64 of His White Moonlight
“It was the best school in the country.The instructors said you excelled at every class.”
“If you want me to stay sitting at this table, I suggest you change the subject,” I said.
His pupils pulsed larger briefly.
“Do you like shorts, pants, or skirts better?”
“Clothes preferences, Bennett?Really?”
“I honestly don’t know what questions to ask you to get to know you better that won’t result in annoying you.”
“Me neither,” I admitted.Then I sighed and added, “I guess I don’t know what I like.I’ve been told what to wear for so long that I've stopped thinking about my own preferences.Shorts are good for running.Pants are good for cold weather or climbing.Skirts and dresses are probably my least favorite since they aren’t meant to make me feel comfortable; they’re meant to make everyone around me comfortable.”
He cocked his head.“What do you mean?”
Since his tone was curious and his body language was calm, I spoke my mind, not a filtered version that brushed the truth.
“Women are supposed to wear skirts to look good.To be presentable.To appeal to men.But I’m not supposed to appeal to men, am I?So, to me, skirts are the physical representation of all the rules that have stifled my life up to now.
“Giving me a skirt is like telling me to shut up and look pretty because that’s all I’m good for.But not too pretty or I’ll get sent away again.”
He breathed in deeply and let it out slowly, and I got the feeling it wasn’t to test my scent to see if I was telling the truth.He was upset.
“Are you really that disappointed I’m not a fan of skirts?”
“I thought we were giving you everything, Wrenly.Unconditional love.Safety.Anything you wanted.”
I let out a loud “Ha!”that drew the attention of the nearby tables.
“Unconditional love?Are you serious?Because you couldn’t stand me, you were sent away to fucking boarding school, Bennett.And when you graduated, it was my turn to be shipped off somewhere.In what universe does that say unconditional love?”
He swept his hand through his hair, and he looked like he was about to say something when the server appeared with our pizza.
Grateful for the distraction, I reached for a slice.
“Wrenly, I?—”
“Drop it, Bennett.The past is in the past, where it belongs.Dwelling on it won’t change it.We need to move forward.We’re doing what Mom and Dad wanted and working together.We’re talking like adults, most of the time.In a few months, I’ll be out of your hair again, and we can both live our lives the way we want and only have to see each other on the holidays.
“Now dig in, or I’m shoving a piece of this pizza into your mouth myself.”
His jaw tensed—he was going to crack a tooth clenching that hard—and for a moment, he didn’t do anything but stare at me.Then he reached forward and took a piece of pizza.
It was the best damn pizza I had in my life.I hummed along happily with each bite, uncaring if people heard or what Bennett thought.
His temper seemed to fade with each piece I consumed.We’d ordered a large to share, which wasn’t actually that big, and I ate almost half of it.He didn’t say anything when I went for the last piece.He just turned the tray so I could reach it better.
“That was the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” I said.
He waved for the check.
“Better than the chocolate?”he asked.
“The chocolate was the best sweet I’ve ever had.The pizza is the best savory.”
He smiled—a real, honest-to-moon smile.And for a moment, I saw exactly why all the girls flocked to him.Bennett was devastatingly gorgeous.
I quickly looked away.
