Page 78 of Weston’s Treasure

“So you think of me as what, a project? Poor broken Silver, trying to piece her back together.”

“What the fuck?”

Weston’s insides were boiling. Never had he insinuated or even hinted he thought she was broken.

“That’s what it feels like. Perfect Weston riding in to save the day.”

“That’s fuckin’ jacked and you know it. Take a minute, check the attitude, stop being a bitch, and remember who you’re sitting next to.”

Silver’s door flew open and she jumped out. Fuck. It took Weston two seconds before he was out of the SUV and making his way to her side. It took another ten seconds to have her back pressed against the passenger door, her eyes on his, and shock clear on her face.

“Step back,” she demanded.

“No fucking way. You had space when we were sitting in the truck. You jumped out, now you get none. Tell me what the hell had your head so fucked-up you’re spewing venom.”

“You called me a bitch.”

“I did.”

“That’s not cool.”

“You’re right it’s not. And I’ll apologize for it after you tell me what the fuck is going on inside your head.”

“I can’t do this.”

Weston reared back, Silver’s verbal strike hitting center mass, causing a painful explosion in his chest.

“Come again?”

“I can’t do this. I wasn’t thinking. I was so caught up in you, I forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

His hands itched to reach out and shake the words out of her. However, the anguish her words caused rooted him in place, too afraid to move. There was no way he’d been wrong. Not about any of it. He’d known Silver loved him before she’d said it. He’d felt it, the knowledge had settled deep in his soul, and he wasn’t going to let this take it away. It didn’t matter how fucking stubborn she was, he would fight her, fight for her, until she broke.

“Forgot about your job. Forgot how dangerous it was. Forgot that you’ll leave me, just like everyone else. Only with you, it’s gonna hurt worse. It’s gonna kill. I can get over my mother leaving me because she never loved me. I get past my dad always wanting to chase some stupid adventure, leaving me behind because he never showed me half of what you have. But when you abandon me, when you leave, it will destroy me. I forget everything when I’m with you.”

Weston was no longer frozen in place, he moved fast and when he did, he yanked Silver to his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

There it was, entrenched deep into her soul—when you abandon me.

He’d missed it, the root of everything. He’d been wrong thinking her mother’s constant belittling had left Silver with insecurities. That was only part of the issue, the surface scars.

“Baby, I will not abandon you,” he whispered.

“If something happens to you, you will.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen to me.”

“It did today. Something happened. You were shot and—”

“I wasn’t shot. It’s a graze and I’m not leaving you.”

“You can’t promise that.”

Silver was trembling. Straight up shaking like she was breaking apart in his arms. He drew in a breath and took a moment to calm down. All the anger had ebbed, leaving him with extreme concern.

“Sweetheart, I cannot predict the future. I can’t promise I won’t be hit by a bus tomorrow. I can’t promise you that my job won’t put me in another situation that’s dangerous. What I can promise you, is I will not ever leave you of my own free will. I will not walk out on you. I will not chase some stupid adventure without you by my side. I will not abandon you. I will not take my love away from you. I swear it, Silver. I swear on my life—you’re stuck with me. Stuck, baby, glued to me, tied so tight that if you stop a minute and think, you’ll remember.”