Page 60 of Yours, For Good

"Of course." Sally's mom gazed at me with understanding eyes. "Anyone would have a hard time talking about it."

I hated that everyone would think Julia's words had hurt me more than they did. They had hurt, and they had annoyed me, but they weren't the reason for the emotions flooding my vocal cords.

"I need a minute, I'm sorry." I stood.

"Can we help in any way?" Amelia asked, a genuinely worried frown on her brow.

Javier stood by my side. His older brother gave me a more serious look from his spot next to Julia.

"Please accept my apologies, too, Nora," he said.

"I accept all the apologies," I said through a still-tight throat. "It'll be okay. I just need a minute. I'm sorry."

When I walked away from the hall with Javier behind me, his hand on the small of my back, I didn't think to question it.

Outside of the banquet hall, lights on everywhere, we opened a few doors until we found an empty room. Whoever owned the house these days had kept the space intact, if the looks of it were any indication. The room was on the smaller side, maybe designed for a small casual event; perhaps a bridal or baby shower. A floral, yellow wallpaper warmed up the place, and dark wood furniture with thick, pink embroidered fabric added to its friendly tone.

Javier and I faced each other somewhere in the middle of the room.

He peered into my eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I will be." I crossed my arms.

His lips curled on one corner. "So you're not okay right now."

I snorted and followed it with a quick chuckle. "I'm fine. It's irritating when it happens but, above all? I hate that I let them see that."

"Let them see you. Let it show Julia she needs to do better."

"I hate this feeling of… exposure, Javier." I crossed my arms. "I don't like to talk about my family and, when I do, it always ends up being like this."

I dug a set of nails into my forearm. Not too much, just enough to feel them digging into my skin; enough to know where I was.

This was the first time I trusted Javier with such a tender part of me. I didn't know when the last time was that I shared this sore spot with anyone— at least face to face. I had written a letter or two confessing this feeling in recent months.

It was different when I could see their eyes… but Javier didn't disappoint me. He gazed at me like he knew exactly what I was talking about. Like he didn't need me to say it, he understood somehow.

My heart beat faster again, this time with the warmth of winter sunlight. The kind that made you cozy in your home, safe from the cold of the world outside.

"She shouldn't have pushed," he said. "Let her deal with the consequences. She was in the wrong, not you."

The mellow feeling of comfort building inside of me pulled a smile from my lips. "Thank you. I know you tried to distract them all with your comment about the next course."

He lifted a shoulder in a dismissive manner. "It clearly wasn't enough."

"I can still be grateful, remember? You admitted to it last night."

His mouth tilted in what passed for a grin from him. It was powerful enough to turn his lips into a lopsided smile, half of his face fully engaged even if his eyes remained serious.

"I think this is one of my favorite things about you." His voice came out deeper this time.

"That I'm not afraid to call you out?"

"Nora… I never feel called out. You… you call me in."

The affection in his eyes grabbed me by the waist and pulled. His words reached for me like his hands might have, had he wanted me closer.

What if?