Free All Better Beautiful (Payton's Heart) by C.A Harms Page B

my breath. "Dylan
don’t ruin your appetite were eating soon,” Karen hollered from across the
room. The refrigerator door shut and I could still feel his presence. My heart
began to race. I dried my hands on the towel and turned toward the table seeing
him looking in my direction from the corner of my eye. I walked around the
table and grabbed my water, "Is there anything else you need help with
Karen?" I asked looking down at the table where she and Casey were folding
napkins. She looked up at me and wrinkled up her eyes and then looked over at
Dylan, “No honey thank you I think we got it." I walked passed Dylan and
straight to the family room grabbing my book of the coffee table and sat on the
couch. I opened it staring at the pages. Tears filling my eyes I blinked them
away. Time had passed as I still stared at the same page not actually even
reading one word. I knew what I had to do. This was Dylan's home and I was
interrupting his life. What Right did I have to be here? He shouldn’t have to
hide in his room to avoid me. I knew I was going to have to find somewhere else
to live. Seeing him daily was just too much. I should have never let out that I
cared for him. It made everything difficult and uncomfortable not just for him
and I but for anyone who was in the same room. It was obvious tension, you
didn't have to look for it, and it was definitely very much there.
    Thanksgiving dinner was great with the exception of
Dylan's eyes burning into me every secondt . I met his
gaze a few times and I wasn't sure but at times he looked like he was hurting
and just when I started to soften thinking maybe I should talk to him, his look
changed. He would glare at me like I was his enemy. All of the kids had
gathered in the family room playing games and talking. Dylan was sitting on the
couch with Carter and couple of his cousins playing the PlayStation but he was
turned in the chair just right that he could see me. Casey and I were sitting
at the table to the back of the room playing 'go fish with a few of their
younger cousins. Trevor, Aunt Mae's son sat next to Dylan looking back and
forth between the two of us. I ignored the feeling of being talked about and
just stayed playing cards and laughing like I had no worries. "So Dylan
how long you going to pretend you don’t like that girl", Trevor questioned
Dylan. Dylan still looking directly at me responded to his older cousin,
"It doesn't matter Trev I already screwed that
one up...I could have had her but I just pushed her away. I just pretended to
be too proud to date a seventeen year old girl. I guess my sister was right I
am an asshole". He got up from the couch and left the room. I looked at
Casey, "I can't keep doing this Case, and it has gone too far. He
shouldn't feel uncomfortable in his own home." I excused myself I needed
to talk to him.

Chapter Eleven
    When I made my way into the kitchen I looked around and
made a connection the Karen's puzzled look. She looked at me for a moment and
then pointed toward the back door. I grabbed a sweater that hung on the back of
one of the bar stools and walked out to look for Dylan. I saw him standing out
by the pool as I approached I think he could sense me and once I was within a
foot of him, "I'm sorry about the other morning. You were right it isn’t
my business. I have no right to question you, no right at all." I placed
my hand on his shoulder blade and I took one more step toward him. He turned
and we looked at each other. I pulled my hand back putting it into the pocket
of the sweater. "It's really gotten weird between us. We used to be able
to laugh and joke with one another and I found myself thinking what brought us
to this point. We’ve reached the point where we can't even say hi to each other
without glaring or sounding angry. I realized that it's me..." he wanted
to interrupt and began shaking his head no..." shh let me finish please. I never should have told
you that I cared about you. I should have just kept