Page 68 of To Believe In You
She massaged her hand. “How are your parents?”
“Switching gears. They do snow removal, so they’re prepping all the equipment for winter.”
She nodded, though mostly she’d asked to remind Matt of the people she suspected he most wanted to spare from pain. With them in mind, he had to be more likely to make good decisions.
He lowered his arms, and she realized she’d moved closer. The openness of his stance promised a warm welcome if she closed the distance. “I set up a time to talk with John next week.”
“It’s decided already?”
“The conversation is. Nothing else.”
Her hand lifted toward him, and he met her halfway, intertwining their fingers and drawing her closer so she stood with one foot on either side of one of his. With the way he half-sat on her desk, their bodies were still eight inches apart.
She spanned the distance by resting her free hand on his chest. “But you want it.”
“I do.” This close, his eyes were a study in shades of blue, flecks as varied as waves in Lake Superior. “Until recently, I thought I’d seen everything God would do for me. Already, it’s more than I deserve. Jesus came to destroy Satan’s strongholds, and when I did business with Him after Auggie’s death, that’s exactly what He did in my life. But you know the verse about how God can do more than we ask or think? Or the mention of Him restoring the years the locusts have eaten? I didn’t expect Him to go that far for me, but if He gave Awestruck back …”
Beneath her hand, his chest rose with a deep breath.
She smoothed her fingers over the knit of his shirt, a soft black Henley today. “The opportunity means a lot to you.”
And he would be crushed if Awestruck wouldn’t even consider him.
“It would also mean a lot to have your support.”
He wasn’t demanding it, but he’d fare better with her on his side. She could explain the fight to Gannon and John. They’d give him a chance then, wouldn’t they?
And if they did and Matt rejoined Awestruck …
“What if you fall again?” She hadn’t meant to whisper.
“There’s always a risk, Lina, but God has a hold of me, and where I’m weak, He’s strong. Whatever happens, He’ll be strong for you too.” With gentle fingers, he slipped her curls behind her ear then let his hand rest against the side of her neck. “He’s brought you this far.”
Oh. Had that been her concern? Her own well-being and what might happen to her if she experienced another heartbreak? Maybe, but only in part.
She bit her lip and noticed his eyes dip, drawn by the movement. When he lifted his attention again, mischief had seeped into his expression.
Her heart stuttered. “What?”
“Just wondering how much longer I have to let you lead before you believe I have willpower.” His gaze brushed her lips again.
A flurry of desire rushed her, but she couldn’t let him change the subject. What they’d been discussing had been serious. It had serious consequences. “I’m not nearly as addicting or tempting as a drug.”
He lifted an eyebrow, and a slow smile crept across his mouth. He rose, moving into her space, and her breath caught. Maybe she’d been wrong, if this felt the same for him as for her. She’d never tried illicit drugs, but being close to Matt? Could something be more addicting than this? She ached for him to go ahead and kiss her. His thumb caressed her neck. She closed her eyes.
“A little longer then.” Matt’s voice was husky, but he shifted until her hand fell away from his chest.
By the time she opened her eyes, he was on his way back to the practice room.
She laughed and rubbed her forehead. Fine. He deserved her trust.
What he didn’t deserve? To have to fight to overcome problems Shane had brought into his life.
She pulled up her message thread with John, the one normally only used for coordinating social media posts, then stole another glance at Matt. He looked healthy, so … alive, even as he moved about the practice room. A new man compared to who he’d once been. What if, by getting back into Awestruck, he turned back into the husk of a human she’d known before?
A counter-argument rose. What if, when he got back into Awestruck, all the good changes she’d seen in him remained, multiplying the positive effect both he and the band had?
She hesitated only a moment longer, then typed John a message.Can we talk about Matt?
