Chapter 10

"Whoa, slow down, speed racer. It looks like you just blew through that red light over there.

Because this is the first time in what feels like months that anyone has talked to me in a regular tone, I go completely still and ridiculously hope I could stay in this moment. There is no allegation. No questions. No pity.

No anger.

And it's absolutely stunning.

Without a reflection or a barrier between us, his eyes meet mine; they are clear and unclouded, the deepest shade of blue in the entire universe. A cloudless sky. The water of the ocean in Corpus Christi, Texas, where we spent one of our vacations. Comparable to a new coat of blue paint being applied to a piece of pottery that has just been fired. And I've seen him before... I've seen him before in some capacity, but I can't place him.

His complexion was the color of creamed coffee, and his hair was a shade or two darker than burnt brown. It's a bit on the lengthy side. It is sufficiently long that it curls behind his ears, preventi