Page 19 of What Is Love
Brandon grabbed me by my forearm so quick, I flinched. “Where are you going?” he didn’t bother whispering.
I ducked low so I wasn’t blocking the screen for the biker and his wife sitting behind us. “I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
He let me go and reached to grab my purse from where I’d left it in the empty seat next to mine. “I’ll watch your bag.”
I nodded and left the theater as quickly as I could without it looking like I was running away. Not that I could without my purse.
I rushed to the ladies’ restroom. It appeared empty. I beelined to one of the sinks and washed my hands on autopilot—my mind was elsewhere. It was in hell. It was imagining all the times I had endured pain due to my failures. Each time replayed in my head, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. I could hear my heaving for air echoing off the tile walls until it was drowned out by the thumping of my heart in my ears.
Feeling lightheaded, I grabbed the edge of the counter with wet hands and squatted. Still holding onto the counter, I closed my eyes and breathed, “It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay.” I squeezed onto that counter tight enough to make my hands hurt. I zeroed in on that pain and used it to anchor myself until the storm passed.
I knew what I had to do.
I knew what was expected of me.
You have to fix it.
You have to.
I stayed that way until my breathing came easier. If anyone came into the restroom, I didn’t notice, and no one asked if I was okay.
I didn’t know if it was because I was emotionally spent and numb or what, but I stood. My body felt weak and shaky. Pushing through it, I looked myself over in the mirror to make sure I was presentable. I adjusted my sweater and necklace before heading for the exit. As soon as I walked out of the restroom and went to turn down the hall leading back to the theater where Brandon waited for me, I collided with someone.
Big hands caught me by my upper arms so I wouldn’t fall backward and helped steady me.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly as I tilted my head up to see who I had bumped into. I met greenish hazel eyes that looked so familiar. Then I took in the rest of the person and saw it was the MC president.
My stomach dropped.Oh, no!
His gaze roamed all over my face as if studying every detail. “Are you all right?”
“Yes! I’m so sorry for bumping into you.” I couldn’t help the panic in my voice. “I should have paid better attention.”
“It’s okay, kid.” His tone was calm and reassuring. “You’re too small to do much damage to me.”
Even though he was an intimidating man, his forgiveness and voice eased my worry.
His hands, which had yet to release me, gave my arms a gentle squeeze. “You’re very thin.”
It came out as more of a concerned observation than just a comment to back up how small I was compared to him. The concern was such a surprise that I didn’t know how to react.Should I be offended?Mother would have taken it as a compliment.
I stepped back and his hands dropped from my arms as if I’d burned them.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked again. I was going to answer him, but he glanced back in the direction of the theater our movie was playing in. “I know it’s none of my business, but don’t let guys your age pressure you into anything.” He stared down at me as he scratched at his bearded jaw. “Don’t apologize for not wanting to do something. Just say no. And if that prick can’t accept that, then don’t give him your time—or knee him in the balls, hard. The world would be a lot better if he didn’t reproduce.”
So he’d seen what had transpired between me and Brandon. I folded my arms across my chest, embarrassed. I wanted to tellhim it sure as hell wasn’t his business, but I held back. He wasn’t being malicious, only offering advice. It just happened to make me feel pathetic at the same time.
My eyes drifted up to meet his and I got that familiar feeling again. “Have we met before?”
He went still and hesitated before answering, “No.”
“Do you always give advice about boys to strangers?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “No. Only you.”
I nodded. “I guess I should be honored to be the exception.”
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “I’m just a nosy old man who couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”
