Chapter 29 - Tyler's POV

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Whatever I had expected when I came here, this hadn't been it. Something had just pulled me to Pia's cabin. From the second she walked into the Thompson's kitchen this morning, I had this intense need to hold her. She just looked so vulnerable and sad—so unlike Pia. I had never felt such a pull to wrap somebody up and shield them from the world. The closest was probably when that girl had been mean to Finn.

Now I wasn't sure if my being here was really a help.

What kind of person even watched a movie that made them feel like this? Why didn't she turn it off? Was there a purpose here that I was missing?

I had no fucking clue how to make a girl stop crying. Pia's uncontrollable tears were terrifying, to say the least, and I didn't want to make it worse. I sunk my fingers into her hair and tried to distract her by playing with it. I didn't know if it would help her, but somehow touching her hair soothed me and helped me think.

To my surprise, Pia quieted down a bit and stretched her neck so I had better access. I continued my massage, playing with her hair and trying to ease some of her tension. Finally, the girl in my arms stopped crying altogether and tucked her face into my bicep. An aggressively loud hiccup wracked her body and she flailed from the impact of it. She looked so ridiculous as she convulsed through the hiccups I couldn't stop myself from laughing at her.

"I told you I would cry," she mumbled into my shoulder.

"That wasn't crying," I teased. "That was a fucking exorcism." I probably shouldn't push her at a moment like this, but I had no clue how to be supportive.

"Ha ha," she said dryly as she lifted her face to look at me. I was momentarily stunned by her. The tip of her nose was adorably red and her cheeks were flushed and slightly puffy. Her eyes almost stole the breath right out of me. They reminded me of the lake right after the storm had settled. They were clear, glassy, and so uninhibited that I felt like I could see straight into her soul.

Pia seemed to notice me staring at her because she fell back against the pillow and covered her face. "Don't look at me," she whined, "I know I'm an ugly crier."

Did she seriously think I thought she looked ugly? She looked so damn cute it made my chest hurt. Without even really thinking about it first, I tugged her hands away and said, "Like there is anything you do that is ugly."

That was probably one of the sappiest things that had ever come out of my damned mouth. It seemed to make her happy though because her eyes lit up and her bottom lip pushed forward in a little pout.

I couldn't describe the feelings that were racing through me at that moment. Seeing Pia so sad today had awoken a beast in me I hadn't known existed. He was completely unlike the beasts I was used to. He didn't want to destroy or conquer, he only wanted to see her happy. It had felt so unnatural to see Pia like that, with no fight left in her. I didn't know if I had really helped that much, but now she was smiling. Her warm golden eyes were so content as she stared up at me, it filled my chest with pride.

So many times in my life, I had been at the precipice of action and I hadn't known the right move to make. In those moments, I had trusted my gut and relied on my instincts. So far it had never steered me wrong. So, that's what I did now. I didn't have a clue what to do, but my body seemed to know.

My hand cupped her pink cheek and I swiped the remaining tears away. Her soft skin pulled me in and I dragged my thumb from her cheek, along her jaw, and then finally across her plump lips. I tried to hide my shudder as my calloused thumb scraped her tender skin. I dropped my lips to her forehead and pressed a kiss there. It was such an odd sensation, just like I'd felt on the beach. Like just a tiny kiss was enough. I didn't want or need to push further, I just wanted to somehow comfort her through this contact.

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