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2026-05-20 10:24:32This was a hardware store, not some dark alley. He wasn’t going to hurt me here.
Trying to act normal, I quickly moved behind the register again. “Did you find everything okay?” I asked softly.
Of course, he said nothing.
He simply began placing his items on the counter tools, paint stain, brushes, and other
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The Way He Looked at Me   165
"He has every right to be here, just like the rest of us." The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Jace's eyes cut toward me like a blade, and my feet instinctively carried me a step back."Sam." David's voice dropped quiet, but loaded with warning. Strangely enough, it almost felt like he was on our side.Sam lifted both hands, a lazy smile spreading across his face. "Just trying to help here."Right. Sure he was.Anyone with eyes could see what this was the classic routine. One played it cool while the other pushed buttons. Sam had claimed the role of the villain without even trying to hide it.Jace said nothing. He didn't spare either officer a single word. The only thing he gave me was one last scorching look before he turned and disappeared down the aisle."Name?" Officer Sam turned his attention on me like a spotlight."Tim Evans." I squared my shoulders and held my ground. Intimidation was a language I already spoke fluently. The streets had been my classroom drug cor
The Way He Looked at Me   164
That was genuinely one of the kindest things anyone had done for me in a while, especially after I'd basically told her I was bad at being a person. We exchanged numbers, and then I grabbed my drink and slipped out of Tranquil Brew before I could make things any more uncomfortable.The morning air hit me, and I exhaled.My skin felt too tight, the way it did whenever I let someone in even just a little. And underneath that, something quieter: a familiar guilt. My mother would have loved Sarah. She would have told me to hold onto people like that, to let them in, to stop building walls around myself and calling it protection.Instead, here I was, walking down the sidewalk to sit on a bench across from my workplace, sipping iced coffee, watching the hardware store like it owed me something.
The Way He Looked at Me   163
"Understood, Dave." My legs trembled beneath me as I rose. A part of me wanted to run and I despised myself for even thinking about it. Pain was supposed to build you. That was what he always said.I had nearly reached the door when his voice stopped me cold."Jace."I turned. "Yes, Dave?""Keep this between us. I'll tell your mother you went out hunting. If she finds out you need to be disciplined, it'll destroy her. You don't want to be the reason she cries, do you?""No, Dave." Hurting her was the last thing I ever wanted. "She won't hear it from me."My eyes snapped open.I lay still, staring at the ceiling, le
The Way He Looked at Me   162
Jace povThe stranger with the dark hair wouldnât leave my mind.Days had passed since I went into town, yet I still remembered the way he looked at me. His eyes stayed with me the most gray, distant, and painfully sad, like life had already broken him long ago.I didnât know why I kept thinking about him.People in town usually looked at me with fear, disgust, or suspicion. Others looked at me with hunger, the same way Bruce always did whenever he wanted me in his bed again.But this man had looked at me differently.Like he was trying to understand me.Like he saw something beneath the silence.
The Way He Looked at Me   161
This was a hardware store, not some dark alley. He wasn’t going to hurt me here.Trying to act normal, I quickly moved behind the register again. “Did you find everything okay?” I asked softly.Of course, he said nothing.He simply began placing his items on the counter tools, paint stain, brushes, and other supplies. Behind him sat a flat cart loaded with wood and propane tanks.I searched my brain for conversation, but every thought disappeared under the pressure of his stare.Because he kept staring.The entire time.While I scanned each item, his eyes never left me once.
The Way He Looked at Me   160
The two men exchanged a look before one of them muttered, “I have no idea what his problem is. The guy barely says a word. Something’s definitely off about him.”I almost laughed at the irony. To me, they were the ones acting strange, judging someone they didn’t even know. People always found it easy to criticize anyone who lived differently from them. Addiction, mental struggles, skin color, love anything could become a reason to look down on someone. I had seen it happen over and over again, so often that it no longer shocked me. It only deepened the dull ache that already lived inside me.Their voices faded into background noise as my attention stayed fixed on the door. Then he finally appeared.The man stepped outside carrying a bag, tossed it into his truck, and walked down the road with
The Way He Looked at Me   Chapter 30
âHe just said⌠oh.âBennett listens too closely. Like heâs leaning into my ribs, into my breath. It makes me feel unbalanced loose in my chest, unmoored all the way up to my tongue.âHe came to my room later that night and said, âItâs fine to be gay, Luca. Just⌠donât tell anyone.ââHis head snaps
Last Updated : 2026-03-22The Way He Looked at Me   Chapter 26
Luca Moretti POVHours after the final whistle, the noise is gone but the adrenaline isnât. Iâm back home, loose from a few victory beers, stretched out on my bed while the win still hums under my skin. My mind wonât shut up. So I scroll. Pointless. Desperate. Hunting.TikTok flickers past my eyes,
Last Updated : 2026-03-21The Way He Looked at Me   Chapter 27
Tyler Bennett povâWhoâs down for dinner at my place next weekend?â I ask. âFriday night.âWeâve got the day off, and the next gameâs at home perfect timing. Carter, Jace, and a handful of the guys are still hanging around after film review, dissecting last nightâs game. For once, even Coach Santos
Last Updated : 2026-03-21The Way He Looked at Me   Chapter 28
Luca Moretti pov âI was right,â Bennett says as he saunters toward my car. Pale denim hugs his legs, the white puffer making his skin glow and his teeth blindingly white. Exactly what I didnât need right now.âItâs a date,â he adds, resting an elbow casually on the open passenger window, leaning h
Last Updated : 2026-03-21
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