first thought, is how gorgeous he is. Adam’s piercing blue eyes, and rugged features take my breath away every time I see him. His broad shoulders and muscular body seem to fill the doorway.
Oh no . My second thought is how badly I want to rush into his arms.
“Summer.” His voice is like a command. And in that moment I know. I can’t lie to him. If I had a split second of doubt, the look in his eyes vanquishes it completely.
I sit, held immobile in his gaze.
There’s pain in his eyes, but something else too. Relief? Can he see so easily, that I still love him?
My mind flits momentarily to Dez. To the possibility that he’s watching the house. And Adam is in danger.
You need to lie to him. Tell him to leave.
But the words stick in my throat.
Adam steps forward, and gently tugs the balled up letter out from my hand. I don’t resist. But it causes me pain to have him physically close, and then gone again.
I swallow, remembering the terrible hurt in his voice, when I told him we should stop seeing each other.
Adam unfurls the letter. His eyes flick over the text, and then back at me. Questioning.
I look back at him, but say nothing.
“You want to go solo,” he says finally.
There’s no judgement in his voice. But he looks as though he doesn’t believe it.
I can’t trust my voice not to break. So I only nod, praying my face doesn’t give me away.
There’s another pause. I can’t read his face.
“I think you should,” he says finally.
The relief of his not challenging me, has the opposite effect I’d hoped. I draw in an involuntary gasping breath, halfway between a sob and a sigh.
Adam sits next to me on the bed.
No. I’m not strong enough to resist if you sit there!
My eyes drop to his tattooed forearms. Anything to avoid the magnetism of his blue eyes.
“I’ve always said you should,” Adam continues, “since I first met you. Lisa agrees with me. Your voice is too big for Tammy and George. You end up dumbing down your talent, to fit in with their style.”
My eyes f lit uncertainly over Adam’s face. This was the last thing I was expecting to hear from him.
“But I don’t think you should go solo,” continues Adam, “for the reasons you’re doing it.”
I risk a glance at him, and wish I hadn’t. Suddenly I’m falling into that gaze.
Stay strong Summer. You’re putting him in danger.
I swallow.
“What reason is that?” I ask, my voice high and brittle. It sounds like an admonishment, and I expect him to frown. But instead, a gentle smile plays on his lips. Then he’s serious again.
“Because,” he says softly, “your ex-boyfriend is blackmailing you.”
What?
A physical jolt rocks my body.
How could he know…?
“That’s not the reason…” I start to say. But Adam places a finger on my lips. I feel myself pressing a little against it. Relishing his touch.
Stay strong … But the mental resilience is fading.
“I know Summer,” he says gently.
A wave of feelings wash over me. Partially fear. Adam didn’t see Dez. He doesn’t know what he’s capable of.
But mostly, I’m relieved that I don’t have to lie to him anymore.
“How did you know?” I ask finally.
The slight smile is on his lips again.
“You’ve got a singer’s voice Summer,” he says, in his soft Irish lilt. “It carries a lot of emotion. You can’t hide that. Your voice gives you away every time. I knew you weren’t telling me the truth.”
“Oh.” I can’t think of what else to say.
“And,” he adds, shifting slightly on the bed, “if I had been in any doubt, the look on your face when I walked in, told me everything I needed to know.”
I feel my lips parting slightly. Something hypnotic and heavy is in the air between us.
“It did?” I murmur.
He nods slowly.
“You can’t hide it Summer,” he says, “any more than I could hide it from you.”
He frowns. “When two people feel the way we do about one another. Well.”
Adam looks at me in
Oh no . My second thought is how badly I want to rush into his arms.
“Summer.” His voice is like a command. And in that moment I know. I can’t lie to him. If I had a split second of doubt, the look in his eyes vanquishes it completely.
I sit, held immobile in his gaze.
There’s pain in his eyes, but something else too. Relief? Can he see so easily, that I still love him?
My mind flits momentarily to Dez. To the possibility that he’s watching the house. And Adam is in danger.
You need to lie to him. Tell him to leave.
But the words stick in my throat.
Adam steps forward, and gently tugs the balled up letter out from my hand. I don’t resist. But it causes me pain to have him physically close, and then gone again.
I swallow, remembering the terrible hurt in his voice, when I told him we should stop seeing each other.
Adam unfurls the letter. His eyes flick over the text, and then back at me. Questioning.
I look back at him, but say nothing.
“You want to go solo,” he says finally.
There’s no judgement in his voice. But he looks as though he doesn’t believe it.
I can’t trust my voice not to break. So I only nod, praying my face doesn’t give me away.
There’s another pause. I can’t read his face.
“I think you should,” he says finally.
The relief of his not challenging me, has the opposite effect I’d hoped. I draw in an involuntary gasping breath, halfway between a sob and a sigh.
Adam sits next to me on the bed.
No. I’m not strong enough to resist if you sit there!
My eyes drop to his tattooed forearms. Anything to avoid the magnetism of his blue eyes.
“I’ve always said you should,” Adam continues, “since I first met you. Lisa agrees with me. Your voice is too big for Tammy and George. You end up dumbing down your talent, to fit in with their style.”
My eyes f lit uncertainly over Adam’s face. This was the last thing I was expecting to hear from him.
“But I don’t think you should go solo,” continues Adam, “for the reasons you’re doing it.”
I risk a glance at him, and wish I hadn’t. Suddenly I’m falling into that gaze.
Stay strong Summer. You’re putting him in danger.
I swallow.
“What reason is that?” I ask, my voice high and brittle. It sounds like an admonishment, and I expect him to frown. But instead, a gentle smile plays on his lips. Then he’s serious again.
“Because,” he says softly, “your ex-boyfriend is blackmailing you.”
What?
A physical jolt rocks my body.
How could he know…?
“That’s not the reason…” I start to say. But Adam places a finger on my lips. I feel myself pressing a little against it. Relishing his touch.
Stay strong … But the mental resilience is fading.
“I know Summer,” he says gently.
A wave of feelings wash over me. Partially fear. Adam didn’t see Dez. He doesn’t know what he’s capable of.
But mostly, I’m relieved that I don’t have to lie to him anymore.
“How did you know?” I ask finally.
The slight smile is on his lips again.
“You’ve got a singer’s voice Summer,” he says, in his soft Irish lilt. “It carries a lot of emotion. You can’t hide that. Your voice gives you away every time. I knew you weren’t telling me the truth.”
“Oh.” I can’t think of what else to say.
“And,” he adds, shifting slightly on the bed, “if I had been in any doubt, the look on your face when I walked in, told me everything I needed to know.”
I feel my lips parting slightly. Something hypnotic and heavy is in the air between us.
“It did?” I murmur.
He nods slowly.
“You can’t hide it Summer,” he says, “any more than I could hide it from you.”
He frowns. “When two people feel the way we do about one another. Well.”
Adam looks at me in
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