Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
We swayed to the music for a long time, my hands resting on Samuel’s strong shoulders. Samuel held my waist. From the outside, it probably looked as if he was simply touching me, but his hands were the reason I could stay upright for so long. My fingers clutched his shoulders, and his hands supported me. He carried most of my weight as we danced. I didn’t mind that we couldn’t do a waltz. This back-and-forth swaying was more than I’d dared to hope for, and it filled my heart with so much joy and gratefulness that I had trouble keeping the grin off my face despite the strain I felt in my legs.
I peered up and gave Samuel another grateful smile. His expression, as usual, was emotionless, controlled, and on the verge of brooding.
“Am I getting too heavy?” I asked with a hint of worry. I was much smaller than Samuel, and he looked and felt really strong, but I imagined it wasn’t easy to dance with so much additional weight.
He gave me a small smile. “I can handle it. Don’t worry about me.”
My eyebrows rose, and my expression became teasing. “So you’re saying I’m heavy.” I flushed, surprised by my own courage.
“I didn’t, and I won’t. I learned a lesson or two about the traps men can walk into in a marriage by watching my parents. To some questions, there are only wrong answers.”
The song ended, and Danilo took over from Samuel before I could say anything. I had to admit I missed being in Samuel’s arms, even if his touch was still foreign. After the dance with my brother, he brought me back to my wheelchair. I wished I could keep dancing. It always made me happy. Maybe one day I would dance as a hobby again.
Samuel appeared at the table, dropping his sister Sofia off. She and Danilo took off for another dance, and I watched them with longing.
Samuel cleared his throat, drawing my gaze up to his face.
He held out his hand. “Would you give me the honor of another dance?”
I bit my lip, nervously glancing around as I felt the gazes of the people at the surrounding tables on us. One dance had been expected, but this definitely caught the attention of several people.
I put my hand in Samuel’s, then whispered, “I’d like to dance in my wheelchair.”
Samuel nodded slowly, but I could see the questions in his expression. I too wasn’t sure how slow dancing with someone would work. He led me toward the dance floor. We stayed at the edge so I wouldn’t roll over any feet. I had never tried a waltz since my accident. Samuel’s cool and resolute expression gave me confidence, so I extended my arms so he could clasp my hands. “Let me know if I do it wrong.”
I gave him a nervous smile. “I wouldn’t know. It’s the first time I’ve done a waltz like this.”
He nodded again, appearing even more determined. He pushed me back, then pulled me closer again, back and forth, back and forth, until I felt confident to release one of his hands and do a twirl. I giggled when I managed to avoid rolling over his feet. I had to pay for my overconfidence a moment later—or, rather, Samuel had to pay for it—as I rolled over his toes during another twirl.
“I’m sorry!” I exclaimed at the brief flash of discomfort on his face.
“I’m used to living on the edge,” he said in such a humorless tone that I couldn’t stop a flood of giggles from bursting out.
Samuel’s mouth briefly twitched into a smile, and my worries over how this day would go evaporated.
Our eyes met. “Thank you.”
“What for?” I asked. Emma looked at me as if I’d given her a great gift. I hope she wasn’t thanking me for marrying her because she’d soon realize I wasn’t the fucking catch everyone made me out to be.
“For dancing with me like this,” she said with a small laugh as if it should have been obvious. Her eyes sparkled with happiness, and all I could think about was how she could still be such a positive person after all the shit that’d been thrown at her. Hearing her carefree giggles had given me a burst of positivity I hadn’t felt in forever.
“You’re my wife. You deserve as many wedding dances as you desire.”
For all the shit you’ll have to put up with while being married to me.
The song drew to an end, but I didn’t stop moving back and forth with Emma, and when the next song began, she tried another twirl.
When she didn’t roll over my feet this time, she looked immensely pleased with herself. “How are your toes?”
I gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry about me. That was nothing. I can tolerate a lot of pain, and this is far less painful than the social chitchat at these gatherings.”