Page 50 of Protected from Torment

Tyler leans in, and I feel myself being drawn to him. As our faces come closer, my heart skips. Fear wars with excitement. I never thought I’d want this again, either. But now that I’m here, with Tyler… It feels right. Like a split in the road that I’m meant to take.

Our lips are a whisper away when Tyler pulls back. “I’m sorry.”

Disappointment floods through me. “It’s fine,” I whisper, ducking my head.

“No. I want to.” He tilts my chin up. “But you’ve been honest with me. And it’s not fair of me to not do the same.”

Then he leans over and pulls up the leg of his pants, revealing the prosthetic hidden beneath.

My heart bleeds for him as he looks at me uncertainly. “I lost my leg,” he says quietly. “It’s been over six years now. I was on an op, and we ended up trapped in a building filled with explosives. One of them went off, and—” He grimaces. “My buddy Jeff was killed. Erik—he was one of my teammates—suffered a traumatic brain injury. And my leg was damaged beyond repair.”

“Tyler.” Tears burn behind my eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

“I was medically retired after that,” Tyler continues. “So I moved back to New York. I was with Kaia at the time—engaged, but not married yet. I was so depressed about it. My whole life had been the Army. And just like that, it was gone.”

I thread my fingers between his, holding his hand tight.

“I told Kaia to leave me,” he says. “I didn’t want her saddled with a cripple. That’s what I told her.” A sad smile curves his lips. “Shit, she was mad. But she refused. She said she loved me, not my leg. And she told me over and over until I believed it.”

“She sounds like an amazing person.”

Tyler nods. “She was. So we got married. Moved to Saranac Lake so we could be close to her parents. I started picking up contract work—white hat hacking, programming—and things were good. Until…”

I don’t say anything. He has to tell me on his own.

“My leg had been bothering me,” he says. “I wasn’t used to the prosthetic yet. So Kaia went out to the store instead of me. On the way home, she hit a patch of ice.”

Hot tears trickle down my cheeks. “I’m so sorry.”

“She died two days later. And after that… Shit. I was devastated. And I felt so fucking guilty. It should have been me on that road. Not her.” Exhaling shakily, Tyler continues, “To make a long story short, I lost my shit after she died. Moved across the country and turned into a hermit. I wouldn’t talk to anyone. And there were a few months, early on, when I thought—” He stops.

I know what he was about to say because I considered it myself.

“I didn’t,” Tyler finishes. “Obviously. Never even tried. But I thought about it.”

“So did I,” I admit. “But I knew how upset Vince would be. So I didn’t.”

Tyler looks at me, really looks at me. He winces when he notices the dampness on my face. “Mel.” He brushes away my tears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I shouldn’t have⁠—”

“You should have.” Listening to Tyler open up to me gives me the courage to do the same. “I care about you. As more than a friend. I wasn’t expecting it either. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I wanted it. But… I do. And that means I want to hear everything. Not just the good things, but the bad, too.”

Tyler regards me for a long moment, emotion working in his gaze. Then he picks me up and settles me on his lap, turning so I’m facing him. “I’m sorry I made you cry.” Feather-light, he brushes his lips across my cheeks. “I never want to make you cry.”

“It’s okay.” Feeling braver than I have in a very long time, I rest my hand on his cheek. “I’m just glad you told me.”

“Mel.” Tyler cups my head, tunneling his fingers through my hair. “Do you know how special you are?”

“I’m not,” I automatically reply.

“Yes.” He lowers his head until our lips are a breath apart. “You are.”

As I look into his eyes, my heart gives a hard tug.

This is right, it seems to say. Before, it wasn’t the right time. But maybe now it is.

“Are you sure?” Tyler murmurs. “It’s okay if you’re not ready.”

But I am sure. So I lean in and kiss him.