Page 44 of Lessons in Forgiving
And Henry, in all his muscled, six-foot-one—honest to God—looked scared to death. The way he pressed himself againstthe kitchen counter, the way Pip backed him further into it. The scene reminded me of all the times she’d tried to take his eyes out; he probablyshouldbe as scared as he was.
Her being a stray and all, we’d always been sure Pip must’ve had a bad history with men. She despised every single one. Even Dad, who’d been the one insisting to take her in—after she’d hissed and growled and scratched. Mom had agreed as long as I’d take the black cat with me once I went to college.
With a snicker, I lifted Pip into my arms. “Dios,” I sighed, shaking my head as I created some distance between the two. Henry let go of a relieved breath. “What is your problem?” I muttered to her in Spanish, gesturing for him to make his escape before I released the wild… eight-pound beast. I didn’t have to tell him twice.
With Henry on his way to the car, I silenced my cat with a glare, holding her at arm’s length in front of me. “That man has been nothing but kind to you,” I chided. Pip growled in annoyance, then started fussing in my grip. “Behave,” I warned before letting her go. She couldn’t get up the stairs fast enough, and I felt the same way about catching up with Henry.
“I’m sorry,” I groaned once he slid behind the wheel.
“Pip will make sure you end up alone, you know,” Henry shook himself off with an amused snicker before he turned the key in the ignition. “What have I ever done to that cat?”
“Exist,” I stated matter-of-factly. “It’s not personal. You’re just a man.”
Henry snorted a laugh. “I’ll apologize for that next time I see her. How dare I?”
“Next time?” My brows rose teasingly.
An exasperated look played on his face when he looked at me. “Right.” He rolled hisr, though just like when I’d tried to teach him some Spanish, he failed miserably at that. It soundedchoppy and rough, and I still somehow adored it. “You let her know how sorry I am, then.”
“She will not accept it,” I informed him. “But I’ll try my best to change her mind.” Which was impossible. My cat was as stubborn as they came.
Henry hummed in humored agreement as he got the car rolling, and for a moment there was nothing but the radio that filled the air between us. “You look good, by the way.”
His words took me so off guard, there was nothing I could’ve done about my laugh. “It’s sweatpants and a shirt, Henry.”
His gaze swept across me once, very quickly but not very subtly. “I can see that.”
“So,” I stressed. “You can’t mean that.”
“I do.” His tone nonchalant, he went on. “Although I preferred my name and number on you.”
My eyes snapped to him, watching carefully, curiously. Honestly, a little confused. But I stayed quiet, just observing his focus on the road, like he hadn’t said anything at all.
Or like perhaps the thought was so normal to him, so common, he forgot it shouldn’t be.
Are you guys sure this isn’t… weird?” Sitting between exposed six-packs and developed calves, it kind of felt that way.
The energy was different in a locker room. The air thrummed with excitement; anticipation basically reverberated off the walls. The boys laughed at bad jokes, chugged another sixteen ounces of water, talked strategy; some huddled in a corner performing their pregame ritual.
Which was what I was here for. Henry’s pregame ritual.
“It’s not weird unless you make it,” Dylan snickered from the other corner, sending me a look that soundlessly added,and you are.
“McCarthy,” Henry barked from beside me. There never wasn’t annoyance in his tone when he spoke to him. Or about him. “No one asked you.”
“She quite literally did.”
Henry ignored him, turned to me instead. “It’s not weird,” he promised, sending another glare over his shoulder to make a point. His hand settled on mine in a gesture that was supposed to be reassuring.
It was, kind of.
Only that instead of the quiet calm supposed to flood through me, it ignited a fire that slowly made its way to my cheeks.
Mierda, Paula. He’s touching your neck, not kissing it.
Although it’s not like he hadn’t done that in here, too.
With his eyes settling on me again, I tried not to glance at his hand on my shoulder. Tried to act unbothered. Cool, calm and collected.
