Page 25 of Embrace

I shake my head when he starts to speak, but he lifts my chin, then slowly cups my face as if waiting for me to pull away. I don’t.

“Scar, you’re notjustanything. What someone else wants doesn’t have to make you feel like shit about your life.”

“Says the guy whoonlydoes commitment. What makes you an expert?”

“I’ve been in all kinds of relationships. Far more complicated than you’d imagine.”

“Like what? I’m sure you had a high school girlfriend you weregoing to marry until you had to separate because of college or something.”

“Actually, it would be my stalker from freshman year.”

My mouth snaps shut.

“Not my best moment, but Tabitha was a sweet girl. She just wanted someone who cared for her, and I wanted to do the caring. It worked for us until she got a little obsessive and started terrorizing my roommates.”

“That’s scary, Kian. I’m sorry—”

He shakes his head. “Is it bad that I still sympathize with her? She used to come around every so often, sending cakes to the house and leaving creepy letters for me, but each time it just made me feel shitty that I couldn’t help her.”

“That’s not your responsibility. She invaded your privacy and your safety. You don’t owe her anything.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he says. “But what I’m trying to say is that I get that commitment is hard. I don’t expect people to want that when they haven’t had good examples of it.”

“Nobody looks at me and thinks about commitment. That’s who I am, it’s who I’ve always been, and I accept that.God, it makes me feel so stupid for dressing like this.”

Kian’s gaze catches on my outfit—black jeans, thick gray sweater. “Like what?”

“Modest! He could probably see right through me.”

He stares down at me, confused. “You dressed like this for him?”

“Oh come on, it’s not exactly a secret.” I gesture to my body. He looks at me, like really looks at me. I kind of regret putting myself under this spotlight when a shiver runs down my spine.

“I don’t understand.”

I close my eyes for a split second. “Kian, if you’re helping me with my reputation, you have to realize I can’t dress the way I normally would. If I put my body on display, then all you’re doing won’t matter. They’ll still see me like the girl from sophomore year.”

Kian’s gaze flicks between my eyes, I see the tiniest crinkle between his brows when he seems to get it. But then he steps closer, and there’s a dark look in his eyes that makes my heart pound faster.

“Scar…Please tell me you didn’t just say what I think you said.”

“What?”

“About your body. That you don’t dress how you want because people will talk.”

“Oh.” My brows furrow at his distress. “Uh, yeah, well, it’s true.”

“Okay, look, I should probably just shut up because I have no clue the things you go through, but I can’t let you cater to that. Your clothes don’t matter. They never have. By doing this”—he gestures to me—“wearing something you don’t want to, you’re giving them the power. And I know that’s the last thing you want.”

“I don’t really have a choice.”

“But you do!” He shakes his head. “Okay, answer me one thing. Do you like your outfit? And I don’t mean with the sweater that you’re clearly burning up in.”

“Yes.”

“Do you feel comfortable in it?”

I hesitate.