Never Again.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

{Kane's POV}

We had all sat down at the table to eat. We had officially been to her parents' house for about six hours and they had given us plenty of space.

They didn't ask questions or anything, but they did hug, a lot. Every time they hugged Dani, she flinched and every time she felt bad.

I saw it on her face how she hated flinching but I knew it was a reaction and she couldn't stop it. Knowing she didn't flinch with me made me know that she trusted me but I still wanted her to be able to hug her family back without her thinking of him.

She had grabbed my hand at the start of dinner, when we sat down, and she hasn't let go. I would move it and she would freeze thinking I was taking it back, but then relax when she realized I wasn't going anywhere. It was resting on her thigh and I didn't realize I had been rubbing my thumb over her knuckles back and forth, for a good part of the meal.

Dani's face had a lot of emotions displayed on it, and usually I was just guessing how she felt. I'm sure my face showed how nervous and out of place I am, but I felt stronger just knowing Dani wanted me here.

I figured she would get tied up with her family and forget about me, but even when someone hugged her, she kept me tight against her, not that I'm complaining.

I think her father was skeptical of me, but I wanted us to get along, for Dani's sake. Her mother didn't really look at me much, but I think she was happy I brought her daughter home, since she had asked me to stay for dinner. But I think she was concerned about how I knew her.

I want her to see that we make each other more whole, but I realize that after seven long years, she wasn't expecting this, and especially not me.

I think her parents thought I just found her on the side of the road and offered her a ride, but they couldn't be more wrong.

Her sisters, over dinner, asked me what I did for a living, what sports I played and few other impersonal questions. They never asked about us, Dani and I, or how we knew each other. They hadn't asked anything about the past, yet.

"Where do you live?" Her father asked me.

"Manitoba, just over the border." I hoped I sounded confident, because I didn't feel it. I noticed that Dani tensed up, but kept looking at her plate, she hadn't eaten much, but I couldn't blame her. I squeezed her hand and she looked at me briefly, thanking me for being here, like she had done countless times since we had walked in the house.

"That's a long drive. What brought you out here?"

Dani looked at me and I noticed she didn't want them to know about the diner yet.

"My sister lives here."

"Oh, it's good you get to see her." Her mother chirped up. She hadn't said much, but she had smiled the whole time.

"It is. Not too often, but we appreciate it when we get together."

"Just one sister?"

"Yes."

"Brothers?"

"No, just the two of us."

It grew quiet and Dani tensed again. I knew she was hoping they wouldn't question us, but I don't know how we would leave together if they didn't know, 'Maybe she will stay.' I doubted it, but really, who knew? I know she said she wouldn't, but it would be harder to leave now that she was here.

After dinner, her mom said she would serve pie in the living room so we could eat there. I'm pretty sure she wanted to ask questions but I couldn't blame her for wanting to know about her daughter. I know I would want to, I just didn't want her to push Dani.