Never Again.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Her mother served pie as her sisters did dishes and her father wandered off.

Dani led me to the living room. She relaxed quite a bit as we sat on the couch, just the two of us.

"Are you alright beautiful?"

"Ye- no."

I nodded before she continued, "But I would be worse doing it alone. I can't stop myself from flinching and wincing every time they say my name or hug me."

"It's just a reaction, you can't do anything about it. Don't worry Dani, you just need time."

"I've had two months."

"Two months with me, just hours with them. Two months is not a lot of time. Especially in comparison."

My hands had been together, but she took one and as she talked her index finger roamed over my palm and fingers.

"I guess so. It just feels like I've been out longer, especially because of us, you know? I don't know, I just, I guess I just wanted this to be different."

"Different how?" It was hard to focus on her words when her finger roamed over the back of my hand and up my arm, I don't think she even knew she was doing it, and she definitely didn't know what it did to me.

"I guess I just thought it would be more like it was with Lily. The silences were comfortable. She asked but didn't expect an answer. She cared and listened if I gave her one but there was no tension in the air. It's hard to explain."

"I'm sure you're parents just want to help. I just think they don't really know how, I know I don't sometimes."

"You help a lot Kane, you do."

"But do you see my point?"

"Yeah. What about later? When we leave?"

"Dani, if you don't-"

"I'm coming with you. Unless we both stay the night, we are both going. Okay?"

I know she had thought this through, but I can see why she wouldn't come with. But I was happy to know she still wanted me around, even where I couldn't give her anything.

"Kane? We're leaving together."

"You're sure?"

"There's no doubt in my mind."

"Okay, I really didn't want to leave you anyways."

"We stick together."

"Always and forever." We were quiet for a couple minutes and I was sitting at the end of the couch and she had her head on my shoulder, with my arm around her. She wasn't moving her finger all around, just in a pattern in my palm.

"What are you drawing?"

"What?" I must have interrupted her thinking.

"On my hand, what is it?"

"Oh, an infinity loop." She blushed a light pink and I wanted to kiss her so badly, "Sorry, I didn't even realize I had been doing it."

"No, you don't have to stop. I like it, it's never ending." More like loved it, even if it was a distraction.

"Kane?"

"What beautiful?"

"Thank you."

"For not stopping your hand? It's not that big a sacrifice."

"You know what I'm talking about."

I did, she meant for coming, but I wanted her to know that I would literally go anywhere for her, except away from her, that I would argue against, with everything I had.