Don't Touch Her Act 2: Finding Peace

Forty-Two

𝓒𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓪

Maverick was there, on the phone with someone when my shift ended. I hurried along, hoping he wouldn't see me, but suddenly, he called my name, the sound of his footsteps coming closer. I whirled around, noticing for the first time that he wasn't in uniform.

He wore a plaid shirt and jeans, a pair of boots peeking out from underneath.

"Hi," he smiled, the dimples showing briefly.

I took in a shaky breath, taking a small step back to provide more distance between him and I. "Hi," I hesitated.

He tilted his head, studying my face. He seemed to sense my discomfort and lowered his voice. "Listen, I know you're scared of me, but I don't want to hurt you. I promise you that." He paused, looking at me with this warm look in his eyes. "I want to ask you something, and I'm hoping," he smiled quickly, "you'll give me a chance and trust me."

I stared at his chest, feeling this sense of panic rising in me.

He took a deep breath and smiled. "I know this great place near here, and again, I'm hoping you'll let me take you out."

My breath caught in my throat. It wasn't the first time he's asked me, but it was the first time he sounded so sincere and hopeful. He had always been persistent, but also respectful of my boundaries. He had never pushed me.

But I was still scared. Scared of letting him in, scared of opening up, scared of being vulnerable. Scared of what he could do.

Give him a chance, she had said.

I could learn... I could learn. I can trust.

I thought about Violet, about Dominic. I wanted to trust again. It was an intense desire but something that felt so hard and impossible to do.

I looked up at him, meeting his eyes. They were warm and gentle. He smiled softly, "just give me a chance. I won't pressure you; I won't rush you. I just want to get to know you better. You're amazing, and I want to show you that."

I felt a surge of emotion in my chest, but I also felt fear. Fear of trusting him.

I hesitated, looking back at his chest.

I wanted to say yes, to learn to trust, to feel safe, to feel okay. But I also wanted to say no, to run away, to hide behind my walls. I was torn, conflicted, unsure, afraid.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out, and finally, I backed away. "I want someone to meet you first," I replied quietly, words coming back to me. Mini would know. Mini wouldn't hurt me... Would she?