Chapter 43
I looked down towards his outstretched hand and bit my lip nervously. It's been so long since I did this.
I am so going to humiliate myself.
I knew I trusted this guy with everything in me and I knew I could depend on him more than anyone else. I knew, deep within me, that he wouldn't let me fall if I were to take that big leap.
So with that, I took his hand.
Adam smiled genuinely at me and I found myself mirroring it, letting him guide me towards the middle of the arena. I held my breath but he held onto both of my hands,
keeping me steady until my feet got used to the slippery surface. When I finally got the hang of it, I felt the rush coming back.
I let go of Adam's hands in an excruciatingly slow way. First, loosening my tight grip and letting him skate a bit faster so that his hand slid away slowly before sliding a foot after the other and soon, I was skating across the arena on my own, grinning like the child that was in me.
Adam skated right beside me, patiently watching and was fast to catch me before I fall whenever I lost my balance and flailed my arms.
I gripped his bicep, my arms flying sideways, searching for something to hold on to keep myself from falling. An arm circled my waist and immediately steadied me.
I was so focused on not falling that my breath hitched in my throat the second I looked up and met those deep green orbs. His eyes held a gleam that made his whole face lit up and I found my knees buckle at the dimpled smile he gave me.
Hot damn.
I quickly averted my eyes at the thought and straightened up, my face flushing a deep shade of red but his arm was still wrapped around my waist the whole time that he skated and as we passed the other people; friends, family, couples; I found myself leaning back towards his built and his warmth engulfed me.
Both of his hands were now on my waist and my own hands covered his. It was small compare to his and I felt his breath tickle the back of my neck. He whispered the one sentence I've been asking myself once again.
"Do you trust me?" I wanted to shake my head. I wanted to deny my feelings. Why? Because I was scared, I was terrified. This is not my realm. Cassandra Rylie Johnson simply did not fall in love. She didn't rely on anyone. She was an independent lady. She was stubborn, wild and would never be tamed by any man.
But all thoughts slipped out of my head when his hands held my waist a little tighter. I found myself nodding and I could hear my conscience screaming at me in the back of my head for the foolish act I was about to commit for admitting and acknowledging the feelings buried deep in me.
"Do you trust me when I say I'm not going to let you fall? That I'm going to catch you whenever you lose your balance?" I knew what was going to happen.
When a man sets both of his hands on your waist, in a skating arena and asks you to believe and trust him, it's not going to be another ordinary shit that you come to face every day.
He was going to do one of those stunts with me and he's asking me to trust him that he will catch me.
But why does his question felt like there was another meaning to it?
The moment that his grip on me tightened, I felt myself being lifted along with the blades under my shoes losing its contact with the ice. I felt my heart lurch up to my throat when I felt the hands on me disappear for a nanosecond before it reappeared and my feet gently touched the ground.
He dipped me for the final effect and this time, I didn't look away once our eyes locked. Cheers and claps echoed through the arena but all I could see was this man's features with his green almond eyes, long lashes that framed it, his chiseled jaw that had a light stubble covering it and dimpled cheeks. He grinned at me even when he was still out of breath.
I found my own chest heaving up and down in an alarming rate. My heart banged against my ribcage and the only thing I could hear was the blood rushing my head.
This man will be the death of me, I thought to myself. And I'm falling for this doofus.
