Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

She glanced up at him and their eyes locked, as his searched hersanxiously. “I feel a little . . . naïve and it scares me.” Clearing her throat,she went on. “I don’t know what it is about you.” She tilted her head almostafraid to say it. “But I’ve believed everything you’ve said to me so far.” Playfullypouting as his expression eased up a little more, she added what she knew wouldhave him feeling bad again. But it was the truth and she wanted to be as openwith him, as he was being with her. “Even that text you sent yesterday.”

He let his head fall back in obvious regret, though he pulled heragainst him firmly. Vannah went on quickly before he could start kickinghimself about it again. “I get it, Byron. I really do. Not sure how I would’vereacted if I’d seen you with someone else like you thought you’d seenme, but I know that despite it only being a week since you first kissed me, it would’vefelt like a kick in the gut.” She smirked, keeping to herself just whata kick in the gut his text alone had felt like. “Just like Xochitl and Idissected that awful text, I’m sure I would’ve needed her to help me come upwith how to respond to anything from you after watching you suck face withanother girl.”

His anxious eyes continued to search hers in such a concerned wayshe knew couldn’t possibly be something he was faking. “Why?” he asked as Vannahpeered at him in question, so he went on quickly. “Why do you feel naïve? Imean I know we haven’t known each other long and I know what happened at thegym with your brother is what led to your father asking me to join you guys fordinner on a whim. But I could’ve easily said no. You know that, right? Asintimidating a man as he is, and as awkward as the situation was, I still could’velied and said I had to work or already had plans. In fact, I’m sure I would’ve,had this been anyone else. I wouldn’t have put myself through all that just forthe sake of trying to get lucky with a chick. You believe that, don’t you?”

Vannah nodded, not sure if she believed him entirely. Not thatshe thought him a liar, but a part of her was still scared to believe it all.That horrible feeling of her gut bottoming out yesterday when she’d read that texthe sent, was still just too raw. As upsetting as it’d been, she’d been equallypissed that she’d gotten so ahead of herself this quickly. While her heartwanted nothing more than to believe everything his words and penetrating eyeswere conveying, her head was begging her to proceed cautiously.

“I do. But you’re right, Byron.” She pressed her lips together togive herself a second to choose her words wisely. “I may be young and not havea whole lot of experience when it comes to this stuff, but I know enough to getthat this is something that really did just come barreling into both ourlives.” She laughed nervously. “I mean after just one week you’ve already metmy entire immediate family and you don’t know the half of it when it comes to them.Me and Nena and my mom have had entire conversations about all thepossible scenarios of what it’d be like the day one of us finally broughtsomeone home to daddy and our brothers.”

Byron’s expression eased into a smirk as his brows arched. “Youmean the big, sweet teddy bear and his equally sweet and ready-to-pounce cubs?”

Vannah laughed nudging his chest playfully. “It really was a lotless painless than all the scenarios my sister and I have imagined over theyears, you know. Overall, I’d say you meeting my family went pretty smoothly.”

His eyes going wide and jaw dropping was enough to have hergiggling again, but then he added. “You mean me getting in your sister’s face, yourbrother and I nearly going to blows, and that being your parents’ firstimpression of me is what you call smooth?”

Of course, this had Vannah cracking up again and she was glad forthe relief in the tension, but she gathered herself to explain. “Alright, that firstpart could’ve been totally avoided, and I take complete responsibility for it.But I meant dinner with my family went smooth. Don’t you agree?”

“Yeah, it did actually,” Byron said tightening his embrace on hera little roughly, but she smiled beyond relieved for his lighter mood. “For aminute there until after when the big, sweet teddy bear threatened myass.” She laughed even as he let her go and got back to working on getting cleansheets on his bed again. “Can we just forget about all that and catch up onwhat we missed out on all week?”

Swallowing hard, Vannah wondered how and why things seemed to changeand move so rapidly between them. Like their connection had progressed leapsand bounds in a matter of just one week, her head was already completelyrethinking something she’d been so sure of less than an hour ago. When shejumped into Byron’s arms earlier, and he carried her up the stairs like herknight in shining armor, she’d been so ready to move this along even further.She’d been so impressed by his honesty and willingness to wear his heart on hissleeve. No matter how out there his frantic explanations of both Irma and theearring in his bed had made him appear.

But despite all that, or maybe it was because of it, everythingshe’d felt today and yesterday had been an eyeopener. Vannah wondered if the smarterthing to do wasn’t for her to take a step back. At the very least slow thingsdown until she knew for sure she was ready to take such a chance with him.Already she knew just how weak and easily she’d be ready to believe and forgiveByron for any misunderstandings and she hadn’t even slept with him yet. Evenmore important, she’d also gotten a feel of what she’d be in for if he ever didhurt her.

“Hey.”

Vannah glanced up at