pain.
“Jillian…,” Lincoln said tenderly and stopped
walking. I turned back to see why he had stopped, only to be
enveloped by his big, strong arms. He was hugging me. I hadn’t been
held like this in a long time, and it felt so good. I felt like, in
that moment, he didn’t want anything from me other than to provide
comfort.
I wrapped my arms around him and pushed the
side of my face into his hard chest and inhaled. He smelled
amazing. It was like candy to my soul.
“Thank you, Lincoln,” I said into his
chest.
He rubbed my back in a small circle.
“Anytime,” he said and kissed the top of my head.
We walked the rest of the way to his vehicle
in silence. Lincoln hit the button to unlock the doors, helped me
in, but then stopped before closing my door. I looked up at him in
surprise as he leaned against the doorframe.
“I feel like I should apologize to you,” he
said, looking at the ground.
“What? Why?” His tone made me a little
panicky. I thought things had gone well, considering this was the
first time I had opened up to anyone since… well… for as long as I
could remember.
“I… I’m sorry. Here I am complaining about my
life when the only problem I really had was my parents sheltered me
too much.” Lincoln sounded ashamed, and I reached my hand out to
his arm.
“Hey. Lincoln. Don’t worry about it. We all
have our struggles.” I gave him a small smile.
He looked up at me. “You lost your father,
Jillian.”
“Yes. And it wasn’t anyone’s fault, Linc.
Trust me I went through years of therapy before I was able to say
that. I don’t think any less of you because you still have both
your parents. Everyone has his or her own things to deal with. I
don’t want to dwell on it. It was a long time ago, and I’d rather
focus on the positive in life,” I said, trying to put him at
ease.
Lincoln stared down at me without moving for
a long moment. He then moved his hand up and brushed his fingertips
lightly across my cheek. “You are an utterly amazing person,
Jillian Thompson,” he finally said.
Utterly amazing? Me? I wasn’t anything
special, but he closed my car door before I could argue with
him.
Lincoln hopped into the driver’s seat and
smiled over at me as he put his seatbelt on and started up the
vehicle. “So you never wanted to move out? Get your own place with
friends?” Lincoln asked, trying to lighten the mood. His question
was innocent, but I felt dread and embarrassment. I didn’t want to
tell him I didn’t have any friends. He would find out eventually
how big of a freak I was, and then he would abandon me as well. But
I covered up my pain with a smile and blamed my niece.
“Well, you met Tabby. Could you leave her?” I
asked warmly.
He chuckled. “No, I suppose not.”
Lincoln drove us back to my house in
comfortable silence. I was lost in thought over this man. I was
still unsure of his intentions. I didn’t have enough confidence in
myself to believe that he was attracted to me. He was out of my
league — that much was plain to see. But maybe we could be friends.
He seemed like a kindred spirit. An equally lonely soul. But that
could just be a ruse. I sighed involuntarily and mentally kicked
myself. I hated having those negative thoughts and letting my past
rule my life, but the past still hurt and made me gun-shy. As
Lincoln pulled up to the curb outside my house, my stomach growled.
“Are you hungry?” Lincoln asked.
I smile and clutched my stomach. “I wonder if
Tabitha ate all the waffles.”
“Would you like to go to brunch?”
“With you?” I asked, surprised.
Lincoln smiled, “Of course with me.”
“Oh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I
said shyly.
“Why not? You’re hungry. Is there anywhere
good to eat around here?”
I was trying to trust Lincoln, but I wanted
to take things slow. “I should probably just go home,” I said
quietly.
Lincoln looked over at me, but I turned away
and looked out the side window. I
“Jillian…,” Lincoln said tenderly and stopped
walking. I turned back to see why he had stopped, only to be
enveloped by his big, strong arms. He was hugging me. I hadn’t been
held like this in a long time, and it felt so good. I felt like, in
that moment, he didn’t want anything from me other than to provide
comfort.
I wrapped my arms around him and pushed the
side of my face into his hard chest and inhaled. He smelled
amazing. It was like candy to my soul.
“Thank you, Lincoln,” I said into his
chest.
He rubbed my back in a small circle.
“Anytime,” he said and kissed the top of my head.
We walked the rest of the way to his vehicle
in silence. Lincoln hit the button to unlock the doors, helped me
in, but then stopped before closing my door. I looked up at him in
surprise as he leaned against the doorframe.
“I feel like I should apologize to you,” he
said, looking at the ground.
“What? Why?” His tone made me a little
panicky. I thought things had gone well, considering this was the
first time I had opened up to anyone since… well… for as long as I
could remember.
“I… I’m sorry. Here I am complaining about my
life when the only problem I really had was my parents sheltered me
too much.” Lincoln sounded ashamed, and I reached my hand out to
his arm.
“Hey. Lincoln. Don’t worry about it. We all
have our struggles.” I gave him a small smile.
He looked up at me. “You lost your father,
Jillian.”
“Yes. And it wasn’t anyone’s fault, Linc.
Trust me I went through years of therapy before I was able to say
that. I don’t think any less of you because you still have both
your parents. Everyone has his or her own things to deal with. I
don’t want to dwell on it. It was a long time ago, and I’d rather
focus on the positive in life,” I said, trying to put him at
ease.
Lincoln stared down at me without moving for
a long moment. He then moved his hand up and brushed his fingertips
lightly across my cheek. “You are an utterly amazing person,
Jillian Thompson,” he finally said.
Utterly amazing? Me? I wasn’t anything
special, but he closed my car door before I could argue with
him.
Lincoln hopped into the driver’s seat and
smiled over at me as he put his seatbelt on and started up the
vehicle. “So you never wanted to move out? Get your own place with
friends?” Lincoln asked, trying to lighten the mood. His question
was innocent, but I felt dread and embarrassment. I didn’t want to
tell him I didn’t have any friends. He would find out eventually
how big of a freak I was, and then he would abandon me as well. But
I covered up my pain with a smile and blamed my niece.
“Well, you met Tabby. Could you leave her?” I
asked warmly.
He chuckled. “No, I suppose not.”
Lincoln drove us back to my house in
comfortable silence. I was lost in thought over this man. I was
still unsure of his intentions. I didn’t have enough confidence in
myself to believe that he was attracted to me. He was out of my
league — that much was plain to see. But maybe we could be friends.
He seemed like a kindred spirit. An equally lonely soul. But that
could just be a ruse. I sighed involuntarily and mentally kicked
myself. I hated having those negative thoughts and letting my past
rule my life, but the past still hurt and made me gun-shy. As
Lincoln pulled up to the curb outside my house, my stomach growled.
“Are you hungry?” Lincoln asked.
I smile and clutched my stomach. “I wonder if
Tabitha ate all the waffles.”
“Would you like to go to brunch?”
“With you?” I asked, surprised.
Lincoln smiled, “Of course with me.”
“Oh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I
said shyly.
“Why not? You’re hungry. Is there anywhere
good to eat around here?”
I was trying to trust Lincoln, but I wanted
to take things slow. “I should probably just go home,” I said
quietly.
Lincoln looked over at me, but I turned away
and looked out the side window. I
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