Curveball- Strike Zone Series Book two

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Nate

      Kayleigh looked scared when I looked up from getting down on one knee in front of her. My heart is pounding hard and I know my hands are shaking, but I don't want her feeling alone ever again. Hell, I don't want to be alone again. She's impacted my world in ways I could have never imagined when I met her. I can't imagine going through life without her right beside me. I don't want to.

      "Nate? What are you doing? You're gonna hurt your knee.  Come on, I'll help you up." Kayleigh reaches down to take on my weight.

       This is the only woman I know who is more concerned about me hurting myself, than what it looks like I'm about to do. Only she wouldn't see it this way, and I hate the reason behind that. No one has ever told her that they truly want her, no one has ever loved her enough for her to believe them. I'm the one dealing with those feelings and making sure she never feels that way with me.

      Shit, if I even bent down to tie my shoelaces near Carla, she thought I was proposing to her. She squealed and bounced around, waving her hands at her face like she actually had tears in her eyes. The only time Carla cried was when money was on the line and she wasn't getting her way. Otherwise, I doubt she has a heart at all. There's no tears right now in Kayleigh's eyes. In fact, all I see is the wariness of my actions.

     "Give me a second, sweetheart. Let me do this." I hold onto her hands and take a breath. "You amaze me. You've made me a better person, a better man. I know we've only known each other a short time but you've made an impact on me. I don't want to go back to who I was without you."

     "You are a good man, Nate. You were even before I met you. You didn't need me to see that. I'm not responsible for who you are." Kayleigh interrupts me.

     "But I'm better with you." I'm going to need to say this fast, my knee is throbbing already. "Move in with me. Stick with me, sweetheart. I'm not sure I'm the marrying kind of guy, but I want you to be the one that's by my side. Will you move into my place?"

     Kayleigh says nothing but looks confused. Shit, did I fuck this up? I thought she'd be happy with this. We're always together. It only makes sense for us to live together. Maybe I'm really moving too fast for her. I thought this would make her happy. When I saw the briefest glimpse of hurt in her eyes, I thought I imagined it. She masked it that fast. How did I hurt her?

     "Nate, you're gonna hurt your knee, come on." Without answering me, she helps me to my feet and hands me my crutches before she turns to the doctor, who's watching us with confused interest. "Does he need these or can he start putting weight on his leg again?"

     Wow! I don't understand what just happened. It's like I hadn't just asked her to move in. She didn't even acknowledge the question. I'm kind of at a loss here. I thought she'd be excited about this kind of commitment from me. I'm not great at relationships, but I'm really taking a big step here.

     "He can, but you should still use one, just in case." The doctor answers Kayleigh and makes his notes. "I want you back in six weeks, Nate. We can re-evaluate then."

      We checked out and got into the elevator to head back to the car when my curiosity got the best of me. I have to find out why she didn't answer me. "Kayleigh, do you not want to move in with me?"

     I watch her reflection in the steel across from us. She's chewing on her lip so hard, I'm afraid she might draw blood. She looks nervous, like she's afraid of my reaction to what she's going to say to me. Shit, doesn't she want me long term? Could I really have misread her feelings that badly?