Page 129 of Make Me Trust Again
Kyle nods and takes my hand, but I can still see that his brain is processing everything that has happened as he tries to work through his feelings. Not that I blame him. This is a lot to take in for anybody, much less a child, and John just put him on the spot without any explanation.
Kyle’s quiet as he picks up his supplies, not a trace of the earlier excitement in sight. He just quickly picks out what we need based on the list we got and puts it in the basket.
Can we go home now?
Mom gives me a side glance, her worried expression matching exactly how I’m feeling.
I give him a tentative smile.How about we stop and grab a chocolate milkshake? It’s your favorite.
But Kyle’s mouth doesn’t even twitch.I just want to go home.
I nod slowly.Okay, buddy. I just have to pay, and we’ll go.
I stop by the register, and with half an ear, I listen to the cashier chat as she gathers our things in a bag. I pay her and shoot her a half-hearted smile as we make our way out of the mall and back to my truck.
Mom tries to engage Kyle in conversation as we head back to drop her off at her house, but Kyle remains quiet, his gaze fixed out the window.
I hate seeing him like this. Hate that there isn’t anything I can do to make him happy. Or maybe…
“This isn’t the way home.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling at Kyle’s confusion as I take the final turn and scan the place for an open space to park. I really hope I’m doing the right thing.
There are a few vehicles in the parking lot, including a familiar black pickup.
Chase’s pickup.
My heart does a little flutter inside my chest at the idea of seeing Chase. The kiss from the other night was still vivid in my mind. The way his mouth devoured mine like he couldn’t get enough. The goosebumps rising on my flesh at the feel of his calloused fingers digging into my skin or the way his stubble teased me in the most delectable way, making me wonder if it would feel as good on other parts of my body. Just the mere idea of it has heat rising up my neck.
Focus, Rose. You’re here for yourson.
I pull the truck into the first available space, killing the engine.
Unhooking my seatbelt, I turn around to find a wide-eyed Kyle just staring at me, his hands shaking slightly as he signs:That’s the shelter.
I nod.“It is.”
“Are we visiting Chase?”
“No.”
Kyle tilts his head.“Then why are we here?”
I crack a smile, unable to hold it in any longer.“Well, somebody’s been telling me how much he wants a dog?—”
“We’re getting a dog?!”Kyle’s eyes widen, mouth falling open, his voice elevating an octave in excitement. It’s the first glimpse of true happiness since we ran into his father, and I’ll take it. Even if that means adding another living being I’ll need to take care of.“They have so many, Mom. There was this cute small one, but there is also Duke, and…”
“How about we go inside and see what they have, and then we can talk about it?”I interrupt him before he can get into it.
“Yes. You have to see them.”
The moment we’re out of the car, Kyle grabs my hand and tugs me toward the shelter. “Let’s go, Mom.”
Laughing, I quickly grab my bag before he pulls me to the entrance.“Which one do you think we should get? I don’t think I’ll be able to decide because they’re all so cute and different?—”
His mile-a-minute chatter makes my head spin in the best way possible. It’s insane how quickly kids can bounce back. I’m not fooling myself into thinking that Kyle had forgotten about what had happened in the mall; far from it. There’s no erasing what John did; something like that sticks with you forever, but I’m glad that my boy’s smiling and chatting again. He was getting too quiet. It reminded me too much of the before, when he was always keeping to himself, walking around on eggshells so he doesn’t make John angry.
However, in the last few months, he’s opened up. More often than not, he’s a cheerful kid whom I had only gotten glimpses of in the past. Dr. Lerry had mentioned recently how much he’s improved, but I didn’t even realize it until this very moment when he got back to that shy, closed-off kid from before.
