“You don’t have to walk me up,” she says.
“I’d feel a lot better if I did.”
She nods slightly, and we walk up the stairs and into her building. She leads the way, up the flights of stairs, and when we reach her door, she turns to face me.
“Thank you. For walking me home. For hearing me out.”Her eyes squint, and she shakes her head slightly. “I can’t believe I told you. It was foolish and a relief…and probably the worst thing I could’ve done.” She steps closer, her eyes pleading. “Tully, listen to me. I worry what he will do to you if he ever finds out that you know. That’s the only thing that’s brought me peace, knowing he’s taking it out on me, not you. He’s threatened to, though, if I tell you.”
“I’ve made him millions.” My jaw ticks, the thought of what this man has done enraging me. “He’ll be hesitant to lose access to more of where that came from. I can’t let this go. You know that, right?”
She looks terrified.
“I’ll be careful,” I tell her. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she whispers.
I don’t want to leave. I have a hotel room twelve blocks uptown and practice in the morning for our back-to-back game here tomorrow night. Not to mention, enough emotional material to process that I could probably keep a therapist employed for the next calendar year. Leaving is the smart thing to do.
My heart doesn’t care.
She takes another step forward and puts her forehead against my chest. I stop breathing for a second. Then I put my hand on the back of her neck. My fingers can’t resist clutching her hair.
Five years ago, I would have given anything to know she hadn’t chosen to leave. That the girl I loved hadn’t looked at what we had and decided it wasn’t worth fighting for.
She was pushed.
I hurt for all that she’s suffered at Daniel’s hand. All because the bastard wanted to control my life. All over fucking money.
She reaches up and touches my mustache.
“We’re in the thick of Movember,” I say.
She gives me a soft smile. Her eyes are bright, and she blinks the tears away before anything spills over.
“You can pull it off. Thank you for walking me home,” she says.
“Sure. Thanks for talking to me.”
She almost smiles. Almost. “You should get some sleep.”
“Yeah.”
I don’t move.
She raises her eyebrows, the way she used to when she was waiting for me to do something I was clearly not going to do on my own. So unfair that she’d pull that cute sass out on me now.
“I’m going,” I say.
“Okay.”
“This is me,” I say, gesturing vaguely at myself, “going.”
“I can see that.” She does smile then. It’s small and weary, but her eyes light just a little, and that warms me up inside just a little too.
“Good night, Trouble.”
“Good night, Captain.”
I take a step back. Then another. She watches me with her arms wrapped around herself now, leaning against her door.
