Hearts Like Ours | Red View Romance #1

🍏 Fourteen

It wasn't a shock to Layla that Dawson didn't come to dinner the night before, but she was surprised to see him there tonight. After their last argument, she figured it would be awhile before he'd want to be around her at all, let alone with his family in the room, where the two of them would have to pretend that nothing was the matter. 

She wondered, if it hadn't been for the sudden rain that started pouring that evening, would have gone out again instead? Or was he just that confident that he could keep himself composed? Maybe it hadn't affected him as much as she thought. Maybe she was the only one in knots over all the things she'd said.

Of course, he'd deserved them, and she knew she was right. But why did it have to bother her so much that the two of them were on bad terms again? Things felt so easy when they weren't at each others throat.

The long oak table was full tonight. Marshall wasn't working late, and Roman and Lillie Mae had decided to stay for dinner. The orchard's newest hire, Annie--who Kenzie had introduced Layla to before dinner was served--had also been invited. 

Annie seemed sweet, but almost painfully shy. To Layla, it looked like she was trying to hide herself in plain clothes and behind long, pin-straight locks—but it wasn't quite working. The almost-white hair and bright blue eyes made Annie striking, and the rest of her features went together oddly enough to be pleasant: a top-heavy mouth, round eyes, a strong, wavy nose.

When Annie took the empty seat next to Dawson, Layla felt a dull thud of an emotion she'd never experienced before--some overwhelming mixture of anxiety and jealousy that made it hard to breathe. As if it wasn't bad enough on its own, she hated herself for feeling it in the first place. She hated wondering what Dawson thought of Annie, or vice versa. 

It didn't help that she couldn't stop her eyes from lingering on the man in question. He must have spent all day working in the sun--his skin had goldened, enough to bring out the pale scars on his hands. Would they ever touch her again? Once more, she hated herself for wondering. For wanting the answer to be yes.

She fought to keep her attention on Jack and Annie as they talked work, describing to the family how she'd be updating the orchards website and running their social media accounts. Layla was vaguely familiar with aspects of the job, having dealt with the social media department at Foster Fitness a few times for their online workout videos. If Annie was as shy as she seemed, the job would probably be a good fit--especially since there were few employers Layla knew of that were as nice as the McAden's. 

Lillie Mae seemed more interested in how Annie was going to settle into town, rather than her job. She was renting out the apartment over Lillie Mae Bridal, and Annie answered all of her excited questions about how she planned to decorate. But apart from speaking when spoken to, she said next to nothing.

For some reason it made Layla's chest ache with sympathy. A young woman in a new town, taking on a new job, looking around the table with nervous eyes despite being surrounded by the most welcoming family there was. Well, apart from the one man who seemed to be doing his best to make Layla feel like a guilty, reprehensible liar.

She glanced over to Dawson at the thought, and found as their eyes met that his gaze had already been on her. There was a time-stopping jolt of conflicting emotions: fear that he wouldn't look away, and the desire that he'd stay staring, wearing her down with nothing but his eyes until all their problems would melt away.

But Dawson's gaze was quick to drop back to his plate, shattering the daydream. As far as she could tell, he had no intention trying to fix their problems. He hadn't said a word to her all night, and until then had been doing his best not to look at her, either.