Part 7 (2/2)

It had been so long since a man touched me that I lost control. It was almost like my body had caught fire and melted my mind.

I backed away, missing the hardness of him immediately, my body still throbbing. Every inch of me wanted to catapult into his arms, but I breathed deeply and centered myself.

Judd looked like he was trying to gain his composure as well. He ran his hands through his much shorter hair and down his face before smiling at me and holding out his hand.

”How about an iced coffee?”

I laughed as I took it.

We went inside and ordered our drinks. When they called our names to pick up our orders, I asked Judd if he wanted to take them outside since it was so nice.

”Sounds good,” he replied, taking my hand again.

I was surprised at the ease in which he kept doing that. He didn't strike me as the hand holding type, and I said as much to him.

Judd looked down for a moment, as if surprised to find that he was indeed holding my hand.

”I guess, in all honesty, I didn't even realize I was holding your hand. I like touching you,” he said with a shrug.

My body tingled at his words, starting at our joined hands and traveling through my limbs.

I suddenly felt terrible about not being totally honest with him. He kept making mention of honesty and how he liked the fact that we were straight with each other. I had to tell him about Karrie.

I squeezed his hand and stopped, looking up at him as I chewed on my bottom lip nervously. ”I haven't been completely honest with you, Judd.”

”You mean the vagueness about your number and where you live?” Judd asked. ”I'm not worried about it. I'll talk you into telling me that stuff eventually. You won't be able to resist my charms.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

He was so freakin' cute.

”Do you have time to go for a walk before cla.s.s?” I asked, my nerves suddenly taking over. ”I'd like to show you where I live.”

Judd looked pleased.

”Let's go,” he replied.

I kept my hand in his, reveling in the comfort it provided as I worried that he would no longer want to touch me after he found out about Karrie.

We were quiet as we walked, so I noticed a slight change in Judd's gait as we neared housing.

Judd paused and turned to me. ”You live in the burbs?”

I nodded and saw the anger cross his features.

”You're married?” he said tightly.

”I'm not, I swear.” I replied.

I tugged on his hand to get him to follow me, walking him up the sidewalk to my meager home and opening the door. I held it open to allow him to enter the house before me.

He dropped my hand and went inside.

I immediately felt the chill on my hand from the loss.

Judd walked around silently, and I viewed the house as it would look through his eyes.

A child obviously lived there.

A small Dora chair sat in the corner next to the sofa, and there were toys in a large pink plastic bucket against the wall.

Judd looked at the toys, then back at me. His expression remained stoic as he continued to look around.

Artwork adorned the walls, both mine and Karrie's. Judd walked around, studying my drawings and paintings, then stopped to look at a finger-painting Karrie had done.

I tried not to be embarra.s.sed by our third-hand furniture, but I couldn't stop the emotion as he looked around our small home.

After studying it for a few moments, he walked back toward the kitchen and eventually looked into both bedrooms in the back of the house. I couldn't blame him for not believing that I wasn't married, but I had been lying to him. Just not about that.

After he finished looking around, he walked back into the living room and sat down on the sofa, putting his head in his hands.

I wasn't sure if he would want me to sit next to him or not, so I stayed where I was and waited for him to say something. Anything.

After a few minutes, he looked up at me and asked, ”You have a daughter?”

I felt like I'd been sideswiped. Sam had a kid, and she'd never so much as hinted at that fact. I knew she'd been hesitant to tell me much about herself, but I'd figured she'd been screwed over by some guy.

I guess she had been. Literally.

I was trying to remain calm and not let the betrayal I felt turn to anger. But it was a struggle.

I looked up at her, waiting for her response, and my anger dulled a bit at how anxious she looked. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, so her face was uncovered and allowed me to see how pale she looked. She was twisting her hands nervously, looking like she would be sick at any moment.

Sam nodded and answered, ”Yes, I have a daughter. Karrie.”

”But you aren't married?” I asked again, wanting to be absolutely sure that this was the truth.

”No, I've never been married,” she said softly as she hung her head. I could tell that she was embarra.s.sed, and I really wanted to take her in my arms, but I wasn't ready to let her off the hook yet.

”I need to know all of it,” I said.

”Okay,” Sam said softly. She looked uncertainly at the couch seat next to me, and I gestured that she should come and sit down. I didn't know why she was suddenly so afraid of me. It's not like I'd ever given her any reason to be.

”Umawell, when I first came to school, I liked to go out and party as much as most of the other freshman did.” She s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably, as if I would judge her for partying. I wasn't that much of a hypocrite. ”Soph.o.m.ore year I buckled down and paid more attention to my schoolwork. I stopped partying and hooking up all of the time, but one night I went to a frat party with friends and one thing led to another.”

Sam was looking down at her hands and I couldn't take it anymore. I scooted closer to her on the couch and lifted her chin with my finger, so she was looking me in the eye.

”We all do that s.h.i.+t, Sam. It's nothing for you to feel bad about. I'm the last person who'll judge you for hanging out and having a good time. Go ahead,” I encouraged, dropping my hand and laying it on her leg.

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