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“I’m fulfilling an obligation, nothing more.”
Sophia took my hand in hers, turning to me. “Damon, this is me. I know what it’s like to love people who choose to do horrible things my entire life.”
“Your situation and mine are vastly different. I cared nothing for the murdering bastard. I made a promise to my grandmother. There is nothing more to it.” I regretted my words the second I finished saying them.
But it was too late. I kept fucking up with her. She deserved so much better than the bullshit I brought to the table.
Her mouth tightened into a hard line, and a crease formed between her brow right before she said, “You don’t get to shut me out like that.”
“I’m sorry, Sophia. That was out of line.” I shook my head. “This really isn’t the place for you.”
“Oh, you’re going to tell me my place.” The edge in her voice made it very clear she readied for this altercation. “Go ahead.”
“You know that’s not what I meant. I don’t want this part of my life touching you.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s tainted.”
“Get over yourself.” She jabbed a finger into my chest. “I’m a Morelli, or did you forget this? The last thing anyone would think of us as was pure.”
Grabbing her wrist, I flattened her palm against my suit jacket to keep her from poking me anymore.
I leaned down, bringing my face right near hers. “Until I touched you, you were the definition of pure.”
Out of nowhere, that familiar crackle of energy surged between us, and Sophia’s pupils dilated.
My body responded to hers, craving her with the pent-up need for the weeks we’d been apart.
“I wasn’t referring to that,” she said with arousal lacing her words.
A light breeze picked up and snapped both of us out of the stupor we’d fallen into.
This wasn’t the place for where our physical attraction was leading us.
Sophia closed her eyes for a brief moment as if to center herself and then released a deep breath.
“You’re a good grandson. Just know our hearts give us the capacity to love or at least care for even the monsters of our worlds.”
I opened my mouth to argue about my feelings for Stuart, but she covered my mouth with her hand.
“I should hate my father after the abuse of my childhood, the neglect of my teen years, and the pain he caused me after I left home. Hell, I should never want anything to do with him, knowing he was the reason for the mess of the arrest. But I love him. Flaws, broken pieces, horrible acts, and all.”
“He doesn’t deserve your love. Neither does your mother.”
“I can say the same to you about your grandfather and father. But our hearts make their own decisions.”
“I hate them.”
She shook her head. “No. You hate that you loved them. No matter how horrible they were, it’s natural for a child to care about the people in their lives. Even when we grow up, some part of us can’t let go. You used the promise to your grandmother to keep ties to your grandfather.”
I stared at her. A war of emotions churned inside me.
The urge to lash out at her and tell her to mind her own business sat on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to tell her to let me be and stop meddling in my life.
I couldn’t do it.
Every word she’d spoken was the truth.
